Today, the European Council reached a consensus on amending the EU deforestation regulation, delaying its implementation by 12 months. This extension will provide third countries, member states, operators, and traders adequate time to prepare for their due diligence obligations. These obligations require ensuring that certain commodities and products sold in or exported from the EU are deforestation-free. This includes products made from cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and some of their derived products.
The leading cause of global deforestation and forest degradation is the expansion of agricultural land linked to producing specific commodities. As a major consumer, the EU can help mitigate this issue by ensuring that these products and their supply chains are ‘deforestation-free.’
Adopted in 2023, the deforestation regulation requires that products from commodities like coffee, cocoa, palm oil, soy, cattle, rubber, and wood that enter the EU market or are exported are produced without causing deforestation or forest degradation. They must also comply with the country of origin’s laws and include a due diligence statement.
In light of concerns from member states and traders about meeting these requirements by December 31, 2024, the European Commission proposed postponing the regulation’s application date.
The Council agreed to postpone this application date by one year, meaning obligations will be binding as follows: December 30, 2025, for large operators and traders and June 30, 2026, for micro and small enterprises.
This delay provides time for effective implementation of due diligence systems that identify deforestation risks and ensure compliance with EU rules. Only deforestation-free products, defined as those produced on land not subject to deforestation since December 31, 2020, will be allowed in the EU market.
The Council will now inform the European Parliament, aiming for formal adoption and publication in the Official Journal of the EU by the end of the year.
