What progress towards deforestation-free value chains is happening in partner countries? Where do key challenges remain? And how can the TEI flagships better coordinate their support?
These questions were at the centre of the Brussels Dialogue on Deforestation-Free Value Chains, on 23 March 2026. The full-day in-person exchange brought together practitioners working across different regions, commodities and thematic areas to strengthen collaboration, share progress, and assess implementation of support measures preparing partner countries for deforestation-free supply chains and in compliance with the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR).
Throughout the day, participants shared project updates and discussed upcoming activities for 2026. Interactive formats such as speed networking and collaborative mapping exercises helped identify synergies and opportunities for deeper cooperation across partner countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Mapping results confirmed the strong engagement in partner countries, where significant progress has already been made in advancing deforestation-free value chains. A recurring insight was that support is most effective when driven by clear partner-country demand and strong national ownership of the processes.
At the same time, partners and implementers still face several challenges. These include limited clarity on the legislative process at the European Commission and on implementation aspects such as Legality and Due Diligence. Flagship operators stressed the ongoing need to support partner countries, particularly regarding access to technology. Gaps in geolocation data remain, partly due to privacy concerns linked to the EU TRACES system and issues of data accuracy.
Another key topic was the Zero Deforestation Hub as a central platform for knowledge exchange, communication, and coordination. Participants discussed how to strengthen the hub as a global reference point for stakeholders seeking information, experience, and tools related to EUDR implementation and zero deforestation efforts. Looking ahead, TEI will focus on impact monitoring and communication, presenting data, figures, and success stories to highlight progress and inform policy and public debate.
A central outcome is the importance of strong coordination among flagship initiatives. Regular exchange was identified as essential, leading to agreement on global and regional formats. Thematic working streams will be clustered and elaborated on the website, including topics such as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Traceability, Legality, Experiences from EUDR Dry Runs, Private Sector Engagement, and Learning Communities.
Discussions also highlighted the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of the TEI beyond current programmes duration It was emphasized that support measures extend beyond the scope of the EUDR and are designed more broadly to achieve lasting structural impact for sustainable agriculture, improved livelihoods for smallholder producers, and forest conservation.
The workshop concluded with a reflection on lessons and the identification of enabling factors, systemic barriers, and recommendations to strengthen the Team Europe approach. These insights will feed into broader TEI coordination discussions and contribute to ongoing efforts to position the initiative as a key platform for international cooperation on deforestation-free value chains.
Key Takeaways
Stronger collaboration across TEI flagships: The dialogue helped identify synergies and benefits for joint activities, thematic working groups, and improved coordination of events and initiatives across regions.
Focus on communicating impact: Participants agreed on methods, formats and a joint communication strategy to better capture and communicate results, success stories and the progress made in partner countries. The hub will further improve as central global learning platform for coordination, knowledge management and outreach across the TEI community.
Strengthening the Team Europe approach: Joint reflection confirmed and articulated the importance of coordinated EU, Member State and organisational support for partner countries in achieving sustainable and deforestation-free supply chains.
