The EU's central administrative and policy-making body has proposed postponing the implementation of a law banning the import of commodities linked to deforestation, in response to concerns raised by businesses, governments and NGOs.
In force since 29 June last year, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) aims to limit the EU market's impact on global deforestation and forest degradation caused by the expansion of agricultural land to produce commodities like cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and some of their derived products.
Under the EUDR, any operator or trader who places these commodities on the EU market, or exports them from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land and have not contributed to forest degradation.
The cut-off date for compliance with the law was originally set at 30 December 2024 for larger companies, with micro and small enterprises given until 30 June 2025.
However, after receiving feedback from international partners about their state of preparations, the European Commission has proposed an extension to the deadline.
"The Commission recognises that three months ahead of the intended implementation date, several global partners have repeatedly expressed concerns about their state of preparedness, most recently during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York," it says in a proposal published 2 October. "Moreover, the state of preparations amongst stakeholders in Europe is also uneven. While many expect to be ready in time, thanks to intensive preparations, others have expressed concerns."
If approved by the European Parliament and Council, the Commission's proposal would make the law applicable on 30 December 2025 for large companies and 30 June 2026 for micro- and small enterprises.
"Since all the implementation tools are technically ready, the extra 12 months can serve as a phasing-in period to ensure proper and effective implementation," the Commission adds.
To help businesses get ready for the new requirements, the Commission has published additional guidance documents aimed at producers, trading organisations and partner countries. These cover topics including legality requirements, timeframe of application, agricultural use, and clarifications on the product scope. In addition, it has also updated its EUDR FAQs to address questions raised by various stakeholders from around the world.
Smaller businesses – which are subject to simpler rules under the EUDR – can access further details of what to expect via a new dedicated webpage.