The European Union’s member states have reached a tentative agreement on a revised mandate for the EU regulation on deforestation-free products, signaling a potential softening of the ambitious initial framework. The move, announced by the EU Council, prioritizes easing the implementation and delaying the application of the existing rules, ostensibly to provide operators, traders and authorities with a more suitable preparation period.
Under the revised timeline, the regulation’s application will be staggered. Medium and large operators will now be subject to the rules from December 30, 2026, while smaller and micro-enterprises have until June 30, 2027. Furthermore, a significant simplification of numerous regulations is planned. This mandate paves the way for negotiations with the European Parliament, with the Council aiming for a final agreement prior to the current EUDR’s scheduled entry into force on December 30, 2025.
The development has drawn praise from some quarters, with German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer of the CSU hailing the agreement as a consensus based on a German proposal. He emphasized that the Council is sending a “clear signal” of commitment to a “practical, streamlined EUDR” that effectively protects forests without imposing unnecessary burdens on nations without significant deforestation challenges.
However, the revisions raise critical questions about the EU’s commitment to tackling global deforestation and the strength of its regulatory approach. Rainer’s commentary explicitly frames the revisions as a response to concerns about bureaucratic overload, suggesting a desire to lessen the regulatory burden on businesses, even those potentially implicated in deforestation supply chains. He argues that the current form of the EUDR hinders efforts to reduce bureaucracy at both EU and national levels.
Critics are likely to argue that the delay and simplification measures undermine the purpose of the EUDR, which was designed to hold companies accountable for their contribution to deforestation and incentivize sustainable practices. The concern is that the easing of regulations, particularly for countries without pressing deforestation problems, could create a regulatory loophole, diminishing the overall impact of the legislation. The debate now centers on whether a pragmatic approach that addresses implementation challenges can be reconciled with the EU’s aspiration to be a global leader in environmental protection. The upcoming negotiations with the European Parliament will be crucial in determining the final shape and effectiveness of the revised EUDR.