How to prepare EUDR geolocation data (GeoJSON) for TRACES

Why the file matters

Article 9(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 requires operators to collect the geolocation of all plots of land where the relevant commodities were produced. Article 2(28) defines geolocation as latitude and longitude of at least one point with at least six decimal digits; for plots of more than four hectares used for commodities other than cattle, the perimeter must be described with a polygon. That data travels with the due diligence statement (DDS) you submit in the EU Information System set up under Article 33.

The Information System imports geolocation as GeoJSON (RFC 7946). If the file does not follow the rules below, the upload fails – and without geolocation the product cannot be placed on the market or exported.

The format rules in one table

Properties: ProducerCountry, ProductionPlace, Area

The Information System reads four property names – case-sensitive – and ignores all others:

• ProducerCountry – ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of the country of production (e.g. ET, CO, TR). Required in the “Type II” file variant used for commodity-level imports with several producers.
• ProductionPlace – a name for the plot. Optional, but the Commission recommends it; it makes the DDS readable for you and for authorities.
• ProducerName – optional producer name. Only send it if you need it – it is personal data when the producer is a person.
• Area – area in hectares for Point features, as a number. If it is missing, the system assumes 4 ha. "Area": "3" (a string) is read as 0.

{"type":"FeatureCollection","features":[
 {"type":"Feature",
  "properties":{"ProducerCountry":"ET","ProductionPlace":"Farm A – plot 1","Area":1.8},
  "geometry":{"type":"Point","coordinates":[38.501234,7.041234]}},
 {"type":"Feature",
  "properties":{"ProducerCountry":"CO","ProductionPlace":"Finca B"},
  "geometry":{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[-75.660100,5.020100],[-75.658900,5.020150],
   [-75.658850,5.019000],[-75.660050,5.018950],[-75.660100,5.020100]]]}}
]}

12 reasons files get rejected

The Commission lists the typical import errors. In supplier data we see the same ones every week:

1. Polygon edges cross each other (figure-eight shapes).
2. Overlapping sides or parts that fold back inside the outline.
3. Holes inside a polygon. Work-around from the spec: split the plot into two half-shapes.
4. “Open” polygons – the last coordinate pair is not equal to the first.
5. Wrong geometry type, e.g. a GPS track saved as LineString.
6. Coordinates that only form a straight line.
7. Vertices that become duplicates after truncation to 6 decimals.
8. JSON syntax errors (a missing bracket or brace).
9. Wrong property names or case – productionplace instead of ProductionPlace.
10. Not a GeoJSON at all (PDF, TXT, password-protected files).
11. Coordinates outside ±90° latitude / ±180° longitude – usually swapped axes.
12. Invalid ISO-2 country codes, or numbers stored as text.

Two problems are not caught by the upload but matter for your due diligence: a point used for a plot larger than 4 ha, and low precision (2 decimals put a point roughly a kilometre away from the plot). Read more in our guide Point or polygon? Plots under and over 4 ha.

The 25 MB limit

The 25 MB cap applies to the whole DDS. Large cooperatives hit it quickly when polygons come from GPS tracks with a vertex every metre. The Commission suggests two remedies: describe straight edges with two points instead of dozens, and declare plots under 4 ha as single points. Simplifying a polygon should never move its outline by more than a few metres – check the area before and after.

A workflow that works with suppliers

1. Collect what exists. KML from Google Earth, GPX tracks, Excel lists, WhatsApp location pins – do not insist on GeoJSON from smallholders.
2. Normalise. Convert everything to WGS 84, longitude first, 6 decimals; give every plot a stable ID.
3. Validate geometry. Close rings, remove spikes and duplicate vertices, split holes, reject crossings – and send the supplier a concrete correction for each failed plot.
4. Cross-check. Does the point fall in the declared country? Is a point used for more than 4 ha? Are two plots the same farm declared twice?
5. Screen for deforestation. The file only describes where. Whether a plot was forest on 31 December 2020 and lost tree cover afterwards is a separate question – see our sample report.
6. Keep records. Keep the input files, the cleaned GeoJSON and your checks; the EUDR requires due diligence records to be kept for five years.

Checklist

• FeatureCollection, one Feature per plot
• WGS 84 decimal degrees, [lon, lat]
• ≥ 6 decimals, no duplicates after truncation
• Polygons closed, ≥ 4 pairs, no holes, no crossings
• Polygon for every non-cattle plot > 4 ha
• Area as a number for each Point
• ProducerCountry = valid ISO-2 code
• Property names spelled exactly
• Total upload ≤ 25 MB per DDS

Questions & answers

This guide summarises the legal texts as of 16 October 2026. It is not legal advice; the regulations published in the Official Journal are authoritative. Screening service – not a certification and not legal advice. Due diligence and the due diligence statement (DDS) remain the operator’s responsibility.