EU states have endorsed a delay to the bloc’s deforestation regulation, after industry pressure and concerns over the readiness of the IT infrastructure needed to enforce the law. 

In a statement yesterday (18 December) confirming the one-year delay, the Council of the European Union confirmed it had also “formally adopted a targeted revision” of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).  

The change “streamlines” due diligence obligations and pushes back the application of the rules for all operators up to 30 December 2026, with “an extra six-month cushion for micro and small operators”. 

According to the Council, the move addresses concerns raised by national governments and stakeholders about the "administrative burden" of EUDR and how prepared the IT system is to operate the regime.

EUDR, first presented in 2021, was originally due to apply from 30 December 2024. Under pressure from member states, third countries, traders and operators, the in December 2023 to delay it by a year to 30 December 2025.    

It targets commodities such as cocoa, coffee and palm oil, as well as food products containing those ingredients, and requires companies placing goods on the EU market to prove that their supply chains are not connected to deforestation.

The Council’s formal approval follows the European Parliament’s vote last month to support a one-year postponement of the law.  

The European Council had already signalled its support, calling for streamlined rules to facilitate preparation and compliance by all operators. That position aligned with recommendations issued by the European Commission in October. 

On 4 December, negotiators for the Council presidency and the Parliament reached a provisional political deal on changes to EUDR.  

Under that agreement, responsibility for submitting the required due diligence statement will “fall exclusively on the operators who first place the product on the market”. 

Rules for micro and small primary operators were also clarified. These businesses will file a one-off simplified declaration and receive a declaration identifier, which will serve for traceability. 

As part of efforts to ease compliance, certain printed items – including books, newspapers and printed pictures – have been excluded from the regulation’s scope.

The revised text also requires the European Commission to carry out a simplification review of the EUDR and submit a report by the end of April.