The European Commission will seek a further one-year delay to the EU’s anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR), citing unresolved issues with the information-technology platform required to run the system at scale.
Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the proposed postponement is intended to avoid disruption to trade flows when companies begin filing due-diligence statements for forest-risk commodities. The change requires approval by the European Parliament and EU member states.
Roswall told reporters that stress-testing had highlighted a risk of the system slowing “to unacceptable levels” once the volume of company submissions increases. She said the move was not linked to complaints from trading partners, including the United States, Brazil and Indonesia, about compliance costs and market access. The Commission’s position is that the additional year would be used to complete technical work and refine risk assessment processes.
The law, billed as a first of its kind, is designed to keep products associated with deforestation or forest degradation out of the EU market. It applies to palm oil, cattle (and beef), soy, coffee, cocoa, timber, rubber and a range of derived products, such as chocolate, furniture and paper. Operators placing these goods on the EU market must show they are not sourced from land that was deforested after the cut-off date and that they comply with relevant local laws.
Implementation had been due to start on 30 December, following a previous 12-month deferral agreed last year. Under the Commission’s new proposal, the effective date would shift by another year to the end of 2026. Officials say the delay would allow further work on the EU’s central IT platform for due-diligence statements and on guidance for operators, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
Trade partners and segments of EU industry have argued that traceability to plot level and geolocation requirements are burdensome, and warn of unintended consequences for smallholders in exporting countries. The United States, Brazil and Indonesia have each raised concerns about the regulation’s design and timelines. Within the EU, some member states, including Poland and Austria, have questioned readiness to comply with the traceability rules. Roswall, however, has rejected suggestions that external political pressure prompted the latest timetable change.
Environmental groups have criticised the move. Campaigners say a further delay weakens the regulation’s credibility and risks allowing ongoing forest clearance tied to EU consumption to continue for another year. Fern and other NGOs have urged Parliament and the Council to reject the postponement and maintain the current start date. The Commission’s counter-argument is that launching with an under-performing system could stall legitimate trade and undermine enforcement from the outset.
The EUDR forms part of the EU’s wider climate and biodiversity agenda and targets an estimated 10% of global deforestation linked to EU demand for imported goods. The regulation requires companies to submit due-diligence statements before placing covered products on the EU market or exporting them, confirming that the goods are deforestation-free and legally produced. National authorities are expected to use risk-based checks, satellite monitoring and other tools to verify compliance once the system is operational.
Market responses are mixed. Food, agriculture and forestry groups with complex supply chains have welcomed a phased approach and simplification of reporting where possible, while several large consumer-goods companies say policy certainty is needed and oppose further slippage. If approved, the extra year would give companies more time to map supply chains, upgrade data systems and align contracts, but it would also prolong uncertainty for producers already investing to meet the rules.
Next steps rest with legislators. The Commission will table the postponement, after which the Parliament and Council must decide whether to endorse, amend or reject it. Should the delay be confirmed, the Commission is expected to publish additional technical guidance and undertake further testing of the due-diligence IT platform ahead of the revised start date.
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