This week Austria took the lead in the attempt to suspend the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) until the end of 2026. The country received support from fifteen member states, including Italy and Poland, who argue for more time to implement the complex rules.
Two weeks ago, the European Commission proposed some adjustments to ease the implementation. Small businesses would receive a postponement until the end of 2026, while large companies must comply this year. The Commission called this postponement an effort to avoid IT system overload and administrative chaos.
However, critics from the business sector argue that these adjustments actually complicate the situation. Due to different deadlines and obligations, supply chains risk becoming entangled in administrative requirements. According to the wood industry and agricultural umbrella organizations, the EUDR threatens to turn into what they call a bureaucratic disaster without economic benefit.
Meanwhile, the environment committee of the European Parliament has decided to fast-track the proposal for partial postponement. A vote on this is scheduled for the last week of November, without extensive deliberations. The decision will be indicative of the political direction of the dossier.
Since the Council of Ministers has not yet taken a position, the Commission is in a difficult position. Brussels risks political damage if the process stalls, while EU countries and companies demand clarity on the law’s implementation.
Opposing that pressure is a growing front of environmental organizations. Among them, WWF, Greenpeace, and the Rainforest Alliance demand that the EU adhere to the original implementation date. They warn that halting the clock undermines the credibility of European environmental policy.
The law requires importers of cocoa, coffee, palm oil, livestock, timber, and rubber to demonstrate that their products do not cause deforestation. The EUDR is considered a world first in trade legislation, intended to decouple European consumption from forest destruction.