Provenance and EUDR

Last updated 30 Apr 2026

Wood Provenance & EUDR Policy

This Policy explains where our wood comes from, how we measure and describe it, what we know about its drying history, and how we are getting ready for EU Regulation 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products (the "EUDR"). It is part of the trust contract between KORENA and the buyer: every claim we make about a slab is backed by an evidentiary record that survives the sale.

It is also a disclosure document in the legal sense: characteristics of natural wood that are described here, and visible in the photo set we publish for each slab, are part of the description of the Goods (see Terms of Sale §7 and Returns & Warranty Policy §1).

Quick read: Every slab on korena.eu is a unique piece, photographed and measured at the Partner Yard with a calibrated capture stack we built ourselves. We tell you the species, the Partner Yard country, the moisture content at the time of listing, the measured dimensions, and any visible defects. We do not source from CITES Appendix-I or Appendix-II species without permits. For wood sourced from EU Partner Yards, we voluntarily collect and disclose the upstream due-diligence statement reference per EUDR Art. 5 ahead of the regulation's application date for our size class (see §8.3). Wood is alive: dimensions move with humidity, moisture content drifts ±2 percentage points by the time it reaches you. None of that is a defect; it's the material behaving normally.

1. Where our wood comes from

1.1. We do not own a yard. Slabs are stored at, and shipped from, Partner Yards (premium hardwood yards and sawmills) under a consignment arrangement. "Martial Labs" Ltd. trading as KORENA is the seller of record (see Terms of Sale §2). Under EUDR Art. 5(6), the Partner Yard's name and address are disclosed to the buyer in the Order documentation (not withheld). The Partner Yard's identity may be omitted from public marketplace listings for operational confidentiality, but the due-diligence statement (DDS reference and supplier identification) is provided to every buyer per Art. 5(6) and made available to competent authorities on request.

1.2. Country of harvest is shown on every listing. At launch our supply is Bulgaria (BG), with Romania (RO) added in Year 2 of operations. Other EU countries are added when we add yards there.

1.3. Each slab carries a unique serial number (laser-engraved or burned into a non-display surface) and a physical QR tag linking back to the Capture Bundle. This is both a buyer trust mechanism and an anti-circumvention measure for our Partner Yard relationships: the tag is part of the slab, not removable without visible evidence.

2. The Capture Bundle: what is published with every slab

For every listing we publish a Capture Bundle generated by our KORENA Capture iOS application. The Bundle contains:

  • Polygon outline of the slab: its true 2D shape, traced from a calibrated overhead capture using ArUco fiducial markers and ARKit / LiDAR.
  • Dimensions: length (L), width (W), area, perimeter, thickness, and width stations at 25%, 50%, and 75% of length. For irregular live-edge pieces the L/W is measured along the longest end-to-end span.
  • Moisture content at the time of capture, where measured, expressed in percentage points (typical range 6–12% for kiln-dried hardwood).
  • Photo set: raw, wet-wiped, backlit edge, end-grain, ruler-in-frame, and close-ups of any defects.
  • Metadata about the capture itself (camera, marker setup, segmenter used, date, light conditions where relevant).

The Bundle is preserved in our records for the longer of 10 years (Bulgarian accounting law) and 24 months after the closure of any related claim.

2.7. Photo data and GDPR. The photo set is designed to show the slab, not the yard environment or personnel. Where a photo incidentally includes a person, KORENA obtains the Partner Yard's prior consent or redacts the personal data before publication. Raw photos are retained per the Capture Bundle retention rule (§2) and access is limited to KORENA staff, the relevant Partner Yard for dispute resolution, and authorities on request.

3. Species identification

3.1. Species declared on the listing is the species we believe the slab to be, on the basis of: (a) the Partner Yard's own records and supplier documentation; (b) macroscopic features (grain, ray pattern, colour, density); (c) where doubt exists, a qualified grader's confirmation.

3.2. We do not routinely perform DNA or microscopic anatomy testing for species ID. If species certainty is critical for your project (typically luthier-grade work), tell us before placing the Order and we can arrange enhanced ID at cost. CITES escalation rule: where the slab's macroscopic features raise reasonable doubt that it may be a CITES Appendix-I or -II species, the slab is not listed until DNA or microscopic anatomy testing confirms its species and CITES status. Testing cost is borne by KORENA or negotiated with the Partner Yard.

3.3. A species ID error is treated as a non-conformity under the legal guarantee for Consumer Buyers, and under the commercial warranty for Business Buyers. See Returns & Warranty Policy §1.

4. CITES and protected species

4.1. We do not source or list any species included in CITES Appendix I or Appendix II in Year 1 of operation, or until we hold the appropriate permits and import / re-export documentation. Non-exhaustive examples of covered species (all Dalbergia spp., rosewoods, including African blackwood D. melanoxylon; Pterocarpus spp., including P. indicus / pau d'arco; Guibourtia tessmannii (bubinga); Diospyros spp. (ebonies); Swietenia macrophylla (mahogany); Aniba rosaeodora (rosewood / pau rosa); Intsia spp. (merbau)). The definitive list is the CITES Appendices in force at the time of listing, maintained by the CITES Secretariat at cites.org. Where a buyer requests a species they believe may be CITES-listed, contact office@korena.eu. We will verify status before Order placement.

4.2. If a species we list is later added to an Appendix, existing inventory will continue to be sold only to the extent permitted by transitional rules, with full disclosure to the buyer; new inventory will not be added until permits are in place.

5. Drying and moisture

5.1. Kiln-dried by default. Slabs listed on korena.eu are kiln-dried unless the listing explicitly states otherwise. Typical moisture content at listing is 6–12% (target 8–10% for indoor furniture use).

5.2. Moisture is measured with a calibrated pin-type or pinless moisture meter at the time of capture, on a representative location of the slab. Readings are taken per EN 1310 standard; meter type (pin / pinless) is noted in the Capture Bundle metadata. The reading is published on the listing.

5.3. Moisture drift to delivery: typically up to ±2 percentage points. Wood is hygroscopic; it loses or gains moisture in transit and storage in line with ambient relative humidity, per EN 1310 moisture-measurement standard and field practice for kiln-dried hardwood in temperate EU transit conditions. A reading of 9% at the Partner Yard may read 7% in a heated workshop in a Berlin winter, or 11% in a humid Mediterranean summer. This drift is normal, expected, and not a defect. Drift may exceed this range in extreme climates.

5.4. Air-dried slabs (where listed as such) are not climatised for indoor use without further drying. They are sold to woodworkers who understand that further conditioning is required before joining or finishing.

6. Wood movement and other natural characteristics

6.1. Dimensional movement. Hardwood expands and contracts with humidity, primarily across the grain (tangential and radial directions). Typical movement is in the order of ±1% across the grain at typical indoor humidity ranges; smaller along the grain. A 800 mm wide oak slab can be expected to vary by ~6–8 mm in width across the seasons. This is normal and is not a defect.

6.2. End-checks (small fissures perpendicular to the end-grain) are common in slab-cut hardwood and are not a defect. Where they are large enough to affect the use of the slab, they are visible in the listing photo set and disclosed accordingly.

6.3. Sapwood, mineral streaks, and figure variation within the same species are part of the slab's character and are visible in the listing photo set. Slabs with high figure (curl, fiddleback, quilt) are listed accordingly.

6.4. Knots, bark inclusions, and live-edge profile are characteristic of slab-cut wood, especially live-edge pieces. The listing photo set discloses all such features visible to a careful inspector.

6.5. Insect or fungal activity: active infestations and live decay are excluded at intake. Active insect infestation or active fungal decay is not acceptable; any slab with these conditions is not listed. Historic woodworm exit holes, old sapstain, or healed checking are not disqualifying and are disclosed in the photo set if visible. If a customer reports active insect activity or live decay after delivery, this is treated as a non-conformity under Returns & Warranty Policy.

7. Photo protocol

For each slab, the listing publishes a standard 6-shot photo set:

  1. Raw, dry: the slab as it came from the kiln, in even diffuse light.
  2. Wet-wiped: the slab after a wipe with mineral spirit or a similar non-finishing wetting agent, to preview the figure and colour the slab will display when finished.
  3. Backlit edge: the live edge backlit, to reveal cracks, voids, or thin spots not otherwise visible.
  4. End-grain: both ends, close-up, to show grain orientation, ring count, and any drying checks.
  5. Ruler-in-frame: a scale-reference shot with a ruler physically present in the photo; this is part of the measurement audit trail.
  6. Defect close-ups: any feature that a careful buyer should know about: knots, voids, splits, repaired areas, mineral inclusions, bark pockets.

Shots are taken in controlled conditions with a grey-card calibration for colour fidelity, where reasonably possible. Colour rendering on the buyer's display is outside our control; see §6.3 above and Returns & Warranty Policy §1.1.

8. EUDR: EU Regulation 2023/1115

8.1. The EUDR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) sets out due-diligence obligations for operators and traders placing on, or making available on, the EU market certain commodities, including wood, that may have been associated with deforestation or forest degradation.

8.2. KORENA's role under the EUDR:

For wood sourced from EU-based Partner Yards, KORENA is an EUDR trader (Art. 5), not an operator (Art. 4). Trader obligations include: (a) verifying that each Partner Yard (the upstream operator) has issued a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) for the slab; (b) retaining a record of the supplier's identity, the slab, and the buyer; (c) making the DDS reference available to the buyer per Art. 5(6); (d) cooperating with competent authorities on request.

Where KORENA imports directly from a non-EU source (a future state), KORENA becomes the operator for that consignment and Art. 4 obligations (risk assessment, independent due diligence, DDS issuance) apply. The Policy will be updated at that time.

8.3. Application dates, verified 2026-05-03 against EUR-Lex Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 and the Commission's Access2Markets EUDR notice:

  • Large and medium operators and traders: 30 December 2026, under Article 38(2) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as substituted by Article 1(25) of Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 (which entered into force 26 December 2025).
  • Micro and small operators and traders (where the operator is a natural person or a micro/small undertaking established as such by 31 December 2024): 30 June 2027, under Article 38(3) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as substituted by Article 1(25) of Regulation (EU) 2025/2650.

KORENA classifies as a small operator (sole-director micro-undertaking, "Martial Labs" Ltd., established before 31 December 2024). Compliance with full EUDR due-diligence and DDS submission is required from KORENA from 30 June 2027. [FOLLOW-UP: confirm KORENA's EUDR operator size classification (head-count and turnover thresholds against the Annex to Recommendation 2003/361/EC) before relying on the deferred date.]

Note: a Commission simplification review of EUDR is due by 30 April 2026 (Art. 34a, as inserted by Regulation (EU) 2025/2650), and may be accompanied by further legislative proposals; this section will be updated if any further amending instrument enters into force.

Trader obligations under Art. 5 of EUDR are not yet in application for KORENA; they begin on the date listed above for KORENA's size class. KORENA nonetheless already collects and discloses upstream DDS references per Art. 5(6) on a voluntary, forward-compatible basis where Partner Yards are able to supply them.

8.4. DDS reference and supplier identity:

Every slab placed on the market on or after the EUDR application date for KORENA's size class (see §8.3) includes a DDS reference in the Order documentation (supplied by the Partner Yard operator); slabs placed before that date carry the reference where the Partner Yard is able to supply it. The DDS reference, the Partner Yard's name and address (Art. 5(6)), and a summary of the DDS content are provided to the buyer and retained for 5 years per Art. 11.

If a slab is placed on the market without a valid upstream DDS reference, KORENA immediately withdraws the listing and does not fulfill the order.

8.5. Our preparation and record-keeping:

  • The Capture Bundle (§2) and the QR-linked piece-level traceability are the technical foundation for our DDS and traceability pipeline.
  • For each Partner Yard we record sourcing-policy information (region of harvest, supplier chain upstream of the yard, harvest date, species), at the level of detail required by EUDR Art. 9(1).
  • Country-risk classification of harvest regions is recorded per Commission Implementing Acts in force at the time of intake.
  • Records (DDS reference, supplier identity, buyer identity, slab identifier) are retained for the longer of: (a) 5 years from the slab's placement on market (EUDR Art. 11); (b) 10 years from the year of issue (Bulgarian accounting law); and (c) 24 months after closure of any related claim or dispute.

8.6. GPSR: Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (General Product Safety Regulation)

Hardwood slabs are articles (not chemical substances) under the GPSR. KORENA places them on the market as a trader/distributor. We comply with Art. 5 (duty to place only safe articles on the market) and Art. 6 (provision of information). We have not received non-conformity notifications; we keep no post-market surveillance records yet as volume is pre-launch. If a serious risk is identified (e.g., a slab splinters unpredictably due to kiln defect), we immediately notify the market-surveillance authority and withdraw affected inventory. Contact office@korena.eu to report a safety concern.

9. Certification claims and responsible disclosure

9.1. FSC / PEFC certification: chain-of-custody verification. We do not currently claim FSC or PEFC certification across our catalogue. Where a Partner Yard supplies a slab with FSC or PEFC certification documentation, KORENA may list the slab with the certification reference (certificate number, issuing body, scope). KORENA does not independently audit the certificate with the issuing body; the Partner Yard remains the certified operator. We do not make blanket "FSC", "PEFC", or "certified-sustainable" claims for slabs without individual current certification documentation per slab. If a buyer disputes a certification claim, we verify with the issuing body and remediate.

9.2. What we do not claim. To keep this honest:

  • We do not claim "carbon-neutral" shipping or operations. We do not currently calculate, offset, or otherwise represent the carbon footprint of our shipments. If we begin to do so, it will be on the basis of measurable methodology, not greenwash.
  • We do not claim that the species we list are universally legal to import in every destination outside the EU. Buyers outside the EU are responsible for compliance with their own importation law (CITES, plant-health, etc.).

10. Reporting concerns and whistleblower protection

Reports of mis-description, mis-identification, sourcing misconduct, or safety/compliance risk may be submitted to office@korena.eu (monitored by the Compliance Officer) or by post to "Martial Labs" Ltd., 8A Yordan Badev Str., 1700 Sofia, Bulgaria.

Reporters, whether customers, employees, or supply-chain partners, are protected under the Bulgarian Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers (transposing Directive (EU) 2019/1937). Reports are handled confidentially; retaliation is prohibited. We acknowledge receipt within 5 working days, investigate impartially, and respond within 30 days.

If a concern is substantiated, we withdraw the slab from sale and notify any affected buyer.

External reporting routes (if you prefer not to report to KORENA): State Forestry Agency of Bulgaria, CITES Management Authority (Bulgaria), or the national market-surveillance authority for GPSR.

11. Updates

This Policy is updated whenever:

  • A new regulatory regime (notably EUDR phases) takes effect.
  • We change Partner Yards or add a new country of supply.
  • We change the photo protocol or capture stack in a way that affects what we publish per slab.
  • A material change in our certification posture (e.g., chain-of-custody program) takes place.

12. Languages

This Policy is authored in English. Translations may be made available on the Site. The English version is the working source of truth.

Last reviewed: 2026-04-30 · Next review: 2026-12-30 (or earlier on trigger; re-verify EUDR application dates and trader obligations timeline before next review).