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European Union Database
European Union Database
The European Union Database (UDB) is a platform developed and managed by the European Commission under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).
With the RED II directive aimed at greater traceability within the supply chain of biofuels and bioliquids in the transport sector, the UDB has been developed to meet these needs (see art. 28, point 2 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001).
Access the Union Database here.
Access to the platform
All operators in the biofuels sector, covering all liquid and gaseous fuels (excluding solid fuels from biomass), have access to the European Database (UDB).
These operators include (but are not limited to) the following players:
- First gathering points (agricultural biomass and waste & residues)
- Traders
- Processing plants
- Final interfaces
- Certification bodies
- Voluntary schemes
- Member States
- European Commission
Why and how to use the European Database?
The European Commission requires all operators to provide a certain amount of information on the Union Database. We have transcribed this request into our technical procedures and standards (you can download them from our Documents page).
Consequently, the economic operators concerned will have to transmit the following information to the UDB:
- Information on raw materials (from the 1st collection point),
- Details of sustainability and greenhouse gas emission savings,
- Material processing/conversion
- All transaction data concerning shipments (purchase and sale) of raw materials or fuels.
UDB reporting options
Operators can complete their information on the Union Database in three different ways:
Via direct online access to the UDB
Via a third-party service provider approved under a voluntary scheme
For economic operators who do not have their own IT system, but wish to reduce the administrative burden by automating the exchange of information, it is possible to use third-party service providers. The latter can help these Economic Operators (EOs) to digitise the information already used to comply with the RED and the POS information. Third-party service providers must be designated by the Voluntary Schemes.
Direct exchange between the UDB and the Economic Operator’s IT system via an access point*.
Whatever the type of ERP system, the economic operator can send data to the UDB using the required protocol. These data/messages can be relayed via a designated access point..
*The access point (AP) providers of all voluntary schemes are mutually recognizable, i.e. an EO using his EDP/ERP system can communicate with the UDB via any access point designated by any voluntary scheme.
To facilitate the use of the database, 2BS has recognized different service providers and access points: Bioledger, WindX.io, VTA Software & Services GmBH.
As a result, all 2BS-certified players are able to send the information requested by the UDB via the platforms, easier-to-use tools. To find out more, please contact these providers directly.
Please note that 2BS will not be involved in the contractual agreement between suppliers and traders.
What are the changes for certification bodies and auditors?
Once the platform is up and running, initial and follow-up audits will include checks on the Economic Operator’s (EO) use of the UDB and the mass balance corresponding to transactions completed on the platform.
At present, auditors are required to carry out the following procedures:
1. Validate the Economic Operator’s (EO) registration in the Union Database (UDB).
Verifier: The EO submits his UDB space for review by the auditors.
2. When the EO has added data to the UDB, the auditor confirms the accuracy of the information.
Verifier: The OE provides a display of the information entered.
Verifier: The auditor is required to cross-check the information entered with the mass balance and proof of sustainability (POS).
In future, auditors will have access to the database and their responsibilities may evolve.
2BS will be offering training on this subject to all partner auditors as soon as we have more information.
We know that implementing new processes and platforms is never easy. To help you better understand the use and operation of the European Database, we have organized several webinars to assist you in using the tool. Review the webinars via the link below.
Your obligations
We have created an account for each Economic Operator certified by 2BS under our 2BSvs biofuel and 2BSvs biogas certifications.
The representative of each organization as registered on our website (Private Area) must have received an automatic email from UDB to finalize their registration.
If not done yet, we invite you to create a password and confirm that your certificate and company details have been correctly added to the platform as soon as possible. If necessary, you’ll find here a guide to confirming your account and a guide to accessing your certificate.
Please note: some Economic Operators do not have their contact details up to date on our website and have therefore not received the UDB email. If this is the case for your organization, please rectify the situation. If a company does not have a UDB account, its certificate will be automatically suspended.
PS: Please check your spam! Sometimes automatic e-mails are treated as “spam”.
Latest developments
January 15, 2024 | Biofuel supply chain
Find below the latest timetable shared with us.
The application has been open since January 15, 2024. Economic Operators in the biofuel supply chain should be able to register on the platform:
- Their initial stock;
- Mass balance start date and duration;
- The production start date, if not yet completed;
- Any aid the company is currently receiving (e.g. feed-in tariff, feed-in premium, contracts for difference, consumer aid (tax breaks), consumer aid (mandates), etc.);
- Transactions concerning their durable equipment.
PS: Concerning the first collection points and in particular their scope, discussions are underway with national Member States, in particular for countries with an existing national database. Please contact the representatives of your professional organizations. More information to come as soon as we have more details.
Link with other databases (Nabisy, Carbure, SN Belge, etc.)
The UDB team is in discussion with national databases for possible integration into the European Union Database platform.
Support for economic operators
- Wiki – This website has been created and made available by the European Commission to answer questions from Economic Operators concerning the UDB. It is regularly updated by the Commission. This site is only available in English.
- FAQ – On the Wiki, you’ll find a constantly updated page with all questions and answers.
Guidelines
Our team has prepared some guidelines to help you navigate in the platform. Please find them below, together with documents made available by the UDB team:
Tutorial videos provided by the UDB technical team
Download and enable the EU login mobile app
E-delivery – Set up for Schemes and Service Providers
Material/UDB Onboarding Training – for Schemes
Material/UDB Gas Organizations Onboarding Training – for Schemes & Member states
Material/UDB Training – for all Registering trade transactions online
EO Lead User Create Material Processing
EO Lead User Create Point of Origin Trades Part B
EO Lead User Create Seller Transaction
EO Lead User Create Sourcing contact
EO LeadUser Buyer Accept Transaction
EO LeadUser Buyer Reject Transaction
Training sessions organized by the European Commission
The European Commission offered several training sessions. You can find below all the recordings and supporting documents shared afterwards. This material is only available in English.
Liquid fuel value chain – Transactions & PoS
Liquid fuel value chain – eDelivery Basic setup & Transactions
Gaseous value chain – eDelivery – Gas – Injection & PoS
Gaseous value chain – eDelivery Gas Basic setup & Withdrawal / Consumption
- Video
- Slides & supporting materials same as above
Webinar with the European Commission (for users already familiar with the database)
Questions about the European Union Database
If you have any questions about UDB, please contact Union Database technical support: EC-UNION-DB@ec.europa.eu
If you need help on a 2BS-related subject, Loundja Baïche, 2BS Assistant, is at your disposal at loundjabaiche@2bsvs.com
