BRUSSELS—In their provisional agreement to extend the compliance deadline for the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) on Dec. 3, the European Commission, Council and Parliament omitted the proposed amendment to create a new "zero risk" category.
With the extension, large operators and traders now are required to meet EUDR requirements by Dec. 30, 2025, rather than by the end of this year—as the law previously intended. Micro- and small enterprises will have until June 30, 2026, to comply.
Europe's top ruling bodies, however, omitted a European Peoples' Party amendment to create a new "zero risk" category—as voted through Nov. 14 by Parliament—that would have removed the need for border controls on commodities imported from countries deemed deforestation-free.
The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association and the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber both expressed concern with the amendments last month when they were proposed.
The amendments, ETRMA said at the time, would bring "a new phase of uncertainty" to an already complex regulation. And GPSNR had urged EU lawmakers to use amendments only to make EUDR's timeline more certain, "not change the substance of the regulation."
The EC did, however, agree to "consider" an introduction of measures to simplify the implementation of the EUDR as part of a scheduled review in 2028.
"With the agreement just reached between the European Parliament and the Council, a 12-month additional time is given to all businesses, farmers and a variety of international stakeholders that need to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation," Jessika Roswall, commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, said in a statement. "The commission has listened to their feedback and I am glad that our balanced proposal has been accepted, giving additional certainty and predictability to businesses."
