The European Commission has approved the postponement of the European regulation on deforestation. Two weeks after the Commission's proposal, the European Council will meet..
Council members agreed on a 12-month deadline, giving countries, EU member states, traders, and operators more time to prepare. This would ensure that raw materials exported or sold within the EU are deforestation-free.
The Council then informs the European Parliament of its decision. Parliament then votes on the proposed amendment in plenary on 13 and 14 November.
In a press release, the Council stated that the formal adoption of the regulation must be voted on by the Council in order to apply it before the end of the year.
European Parliament to vote on postponing EUDR
The EUDR has been in force since 29 June 2023, although the Commission and the Council have recommended delaying it. Indeed, it is the Documentation required for certain commodity transactionsRuben Brunsveld, RSPO Deputy Director for EMEA.
The proposed postponement has sparked strong reactions. More than 225 civil society organizations representing 42 countries joined WWF in a letter sent this week to the European Parliament urging it to abandon the proposed 12-month postponement.
"Now is not the time to give corporations even more time to destroy our last remaining forests," said Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, head of WWF's European policy office.
The postponement will penalize companies that have invested heavily to meet the deadlines and reward those that delay doing so. "Is this the message EU policymakers are trying to send?"
The letter cites the democratic adoption of the EUDR, with "record levels of public participation and support."
It reads: "Nearly 1.2 million Europeans told the European Commission they did not want to continue being complicit in global deforestation and demanded immediate action."
The world is facing a period of climate crisis
The world is facing a "period of climate crisis," and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, "contrasts sharply" with the "urgency" expressed by the UN Secretary-General.
If the regulatory delay is approved, large traders and operators will only have to fully comply with the EUDR by December 30, 2025, while small and micro businesses will have to comply by June 30, 2026.
The European Council said the targeted amendment would not change the essence of existing rules that aim to minimize the EU's contributions to deforestation, forest degradation and global warming.
Experts believe that the company's business needs will be the reason for the delay. Smallholders, emerging markets and the environment are at risk.
The industry has repeatedly expressed concerns about the implementation of the EUDR this year. They cited a lack of clarity on how it would work and claimed that implementation would create chaos. When it first proposed delaying the New guidelines published by the European CommissionYou can also learn more about the following: published 40 FAQ updates.
English 
French