EU lawmakers vote to delay EUDR implementation
The EUDR proposes to ban the export of products connected to deforestation. Credit: AdobeStock/Richard Carey
In response to concerns raised by EU member states, non-EU countries, traders and operators that they would not be able to fully comply with the rules if applied as of end of 2024, the European Commission is postponing the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year.
Following a vote on 14 November in Brussels, Belgium, the European Parliament confirmed to delay implementing the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) –a plan that was already endorsed by the Council of Ministers – until December 2025.
Adopted on 19 April 2023 and initially due to be enforced on 30 December 2024, the EUDR proposes to ban the export of products associated with deforestation, such as coffee beans, cocoa beans, soya, cattle, rubber, palm oil, and wood. The law also applies to European farmers.
Third countries, member states, operators and traders will have more time to prepare for the due diligence obligations imposed by the EUDR. Large operators and traders would have to adhere to the requirements stemming from the EUDR as of 30 December 2025, whereas micro- and small enterprises would have until 30 June 2026. In a statement released by the European Parliament, “this additional time would help operators around the world to implement the rules smoothly from the start without undermining the objectives of the law.”
Parliament also adopted other amendments proposed by the political groups such as the European People’s Party (EPP), including the creation of a new category of countries posing “no risk” on deforestation in addition to the existing three categories of “low”, “standard” and “high” risk. Countries classified as “no risk”, defined as countries with stable or increasing forest area development, would face significantly less stringent requirements as there is a negligible or non-existent risk of deforestation. The Commission will have to finalise a country-benchmarking system by 30 June 2025.
Multiple proponents of the EUDR have called out the move. In a statement on LinkedIn, Rainforest Alliance said the no-risk category would be “a death sentence to the EUDR.”
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued a statement saying, “The European Parliament, driven by the European People’s Party (EPP), voted for amendments to substantially weaken the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) de facto deregulating and undermining one of the EU’s landmark environmental laws. By introducing a category of “no risk” countries, the EPP and its allies have effectively voted to enable further forest destruction both within and outside of Europe. The move undermines the efforts of forward-thinking companies that have invested in deforestation-free supply chains to comply with EUDR requirements in time for its application on 30 December 2024.”
Parliament is now referring this file back to committee for interinstitutional negotiations. In order for these changes to enter into force, the agreed text will have to be endorsed by both Council and Parliament and published in the EU Official Journal.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest – an area larger than the EU – were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. EU consumption represents around 10% of global deforestation. Palm oil and soya beans account for more than two-thirds of this. — Vanessa L Facenda
