Why SUMAL-TRACES integration matters

SUMAL is Romania unified timber monitoring system, managed by the Ministry of Environment. EUDR requires geolocation coordinates and legality evidence for each batch of wood placed on the EU market. The logical connection is clear: SUMAL already knows where each cubic meter was harvested, so it can feed data directly into TRACES.

Current integration status

In early 2026, Romanian authorities confirmed that SUMAL will export origin data to TRACES via API. This means companies operating legally through SUMAL will have most of their EUDR file completed automatically.

What remains the company responsibility

  • Plot geolocation coordinates - SUMAL does not record polygons, only management units. Companies must collect exact coordinates (polygon or centroids).
  • EUDR risk assessment - mandatory even if origin country is Romania (low-risk category).
  • Financial documentation - invoices, contracts, transport documents associated with each batch.
  • DDS reference number - obtained from TRACES after submitting the initial declaration.

Challenges for sawmills and traders

Sawmills buying wood from multiple suppliers face the biggest challenge: they must aggregate coordinates from dozens or hundreds of different batches and maintain traceability throughout the chain. The solution is a digital system that links SUMAL waybills to coordinates and automatically generates the EUDR file.

Practical recommendations

  1. Verify all your operations are correctly recorded in SUMAL
  2. Implement a coordinate collection system (field GPS or mobile app)
  3. Prepare risk assessment templates for different suppliers
  4. Test the TRACES interface before the official deadline
  5. Consider CoC certification as an additional data validation layer

Sustainability Today integrates members SUMAL data with EUDR preparation, providing an automated flow from APV to TRACES declaration.