The European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional political agreement on 04.12.2025 to officially delay the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by one year. This delay introduces targeted simplifications to make implementation more practical while maintaining the core goal: ensuring products entering or leaving the EU are deforestation-free.
A Clearer Path Forward
Concerns regarding supply chain readiness and IT system capacity prompted lawmakers to revise the timeline. Instead of a temporary “grace period,” the co-legislators opted for a full postponement to provide much-needed stability and clarity for all operators involved.
Updated Enforcement Timeline:
Scope Change: Printed Products Removed
In a major simplification effort, lawmakers have agreed that books, newspapers, and printed pictures are now removed from the regulation’s scope. Reflecting their minimal deforestation risk, these categories will no longer fall under EUDR compliance requirements.
Simplified Due Diligence Responsibilities
A significant procedural shift now limits the responsibility for submitting Due Diligence Statements (DDS). The obligation falls exclusively on the operator who first places the product on the EU market.
Downstream operators are no longer required to repeatedly pass reference numbers through the chain. Instead, only the first downstream operator must retain the DDS reference number, drastically reducing the administrative burden across complex supply chains.
Support for Small Operators
Micro and small primary operators will now submit a single simplified declaration to receive a unique identifier. This traceability solution removes repetitive reporting steps, supporting smaller companies with limited administrative capacity. Additionally, the European Commission is mandated to conduct a simplification review by 30 April 2026.
Conclusion & Next Steps
The provisional agreement now awaits formal endorsement and adoption. While the delay provides essential time, the environmental objectives remain. Operators should use this window to organize supplier data and establish due diligence processes via the EAS Dashboard.
