Point or polygon? EUDR plots under and over 4 hectares

The rule in Article 2(28)

Geolocation under the EUDR means the latitude and longitude of at least one point with at least six decimal digits. For plots of land of more than four hectares used to produce relevant commodities other than cattle, the geolocation must be a polygon with enough points to describe the perimeter of each plot.

For cattle, geolocation refers to the establishments where the animals were kept, and a point per establishment is sufficient. Micro or small primary operators in low-risk countries may use a postal address instead (see our deadlines guide).

Decision table

What counts as one plot?

Article 2(27) defines a plot of land as land within a single real-estate property, as recognised by the law of the country of production, with sufficiently homogeneous conditions to allow an evaluation of the aggregate risk of deforestation and forest degradation. In practice: one farm field, one forest compartment or one coffee garden – not a whole village or cooperative. Splitting a 10 ha farm into three 3.3 ha “plots” only to use points is not what the rule intends.

Six decimals – what that means

Six decimals do not make a phone GPS more accurate (typically 3–10 m). But a coordinate typed with two decimals and padded with zeros – 7.040000 – is formally six decimals and still a kilometre off. Ask how the point was taken.

The Area property and the 4 ha default

In the GeoJSON file, points carry an Area property in hectares. If it is missing, the EU Information System sets it to 4 ha. That default is convenient – and misleading: it can hide plots that are actually larger and therefore need a polygon. Always send the real area as a number.

Why polygons give better evidence

To check whether a plot was deforested after 31 Dec 2020, satellite and forest maps are evaluated inside the plot. With a point, we have to assume a shape – usually a circle with the declared area (a 4 ha circle has a radius of about 113 m). Forest loss just outside that circle may be missed, and loss on a neighbour’s land may be counted. A polygon removes that ambiguity. That is why our reports mark point-based results and recommend polygons for plots near forest edges.

Practical tips

• Walk the boundary with a phone GPS app and export GPX or KML – it does not need to be survey-grade.
• For plots near the 4 ha threshold, draw a polygon anyway.
• Never let a point sit on a road, river or the farmer’s house – place it inside the productive area.
• Record how each point or polygon was collected (GPS walk, drawn on imagery, cadastre). It helps if an authority asks.

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.