The European Parliament endorsed a set of simplification measures to ease the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), adopted in 2023 to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering the EU market. MEPs supported targeted adjustments designed to support companies, supply-chain partners, and non-EU countries as they prepare for compliance, while upholding the regulation’s climate and biodiversity objectives.

A central change is a one-year postponement of compliance deadlines. Under Parliament’s position, large operators and traders would now be required to meet the regulation’s obligations by 30 December 2026, while micro and small enterprises would have until 30 June 2027. Lawmakers said the extension will allow time to strengthen the IT systems used to file electronic due diligence statements and ensure a smoother transition for all actors in the supply chain.

The amendments also adjust due diligence responsibilities. MEPs propose that the obligation to submit a due diligence statement should rest with the business that first places a product on the EU market, rather than with subsequent operators or traders. For micro and small primary operators, reporting requirements would be reduced to a one-off simplified declaration. Parliament additionally requested a simplification review by 30 April 2026 to assess administrative impacts and identify further opportunities to streamline the regulation.

The vote passed with 402 in favour, 250 against, and eight abstentions, enabling Parliament to begin negotiations with member states on the final text. For the postponement to take effect, the revised legislation must be approved by both Parliament and the Council and published before the end of 2025. The EUDR targets commodities including cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya, wood, printed paper, and cattle products. According to the UN FAO, 420 million hectares of forest were lost globally between 1990 and 2020, with EU consumption accounting for roughly 10% of deforestation.