The European Commission has proposed targeted amendments to ensure the smooth implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), aimed at addressing technical challenges and easing compliance for smaller operators while maintaining robust safeguards against deforestation.
The proposal seeks to make the EUDR’s digital system fully operational and simplify reporting for micro and small primary operators from low-risk countries. It also reduces administrative obligations for downstream operators such as retailers and manufacturers.
Under the new plan, only one due diligence statement will be required at the market entry point. For example, an importer placing cocoa beans on the EU market will file a single declaration, while chocolate manufacturers will be exempt from submitting new ones. Small and micro operators will only need to make a one-off declaration in the EUDR IT system, or none at all if the information is already available in national databases.
To ensure a smoother rollout, the Commission has proposed a staggered implementation timeline. Large and medium-sized companies will still need to comply from 30 December 2025, but will have a six-month grace period for enforcement. Micro and small enterprises will gain an additional year, with the regulation applying to them from 30 December 2026.
The changes are designed to strengthen the EUDR’s IT infrastructure, which has faced higher-than-expected projected data loads since testing began in December 2024. The Commission has also outlined contingency plans in case the proposal is not adopted before the end of 2025.
The European Parliament and the Council will now debate and must formally adopt the proposal before it takes effect.
Adopted in 2023, the EUDR aims to prevent commodities such as coffee, cocoa, palm oil, soy, beef and timber from contributing to global deforestation and forest degradation. The law is a cornerstone of the EU’s broader climate and biodiversity agenda.
