Today’s publication of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) review package ends months of uncertainty and signals a welcome shift from political scaremongering to practical implementation.
The EC’s decision confirms that the regulation stands and is fit for purpose, and that companies and competent authorities must move forward with compliance.
“We’re encouraged to see the EUDR finally moving from promise to practice. But now the EU must hold the line,” said Anke Schulmeister‑ Oldenhove, Manager, Forests at the WWF European Policy Office. “What we need now is decisive implementation, clear enforcement, and the political will to stand by the commitments already made. Only then will the EUDR deliver the real protection our forests urgently need.”
However, changes to the product scope risk undermining one of Europe’s most important environmental laws before it is even implemented. Crucially, the decision to exclude leather sends a worrying signal that forest‑riskproducts can be left out despite clear environmental costs.
WWF warns that any further exclusions would increase deforestation risks while creating a fragmented framework that exposes companies operating complex global supply chains to additional legal and market uncertainty.
Many companies have invested significant time and resources to prepare their supply chains, only to see those efforts stalled by repeated political hesitation. “Delays and half-baked amendments have already come at a tangible cost for businesses and nature,” said Anke Schulmeister‑ Oldenhove. “Weakening the EUDR by exempting specific sectors would undermine the regulation’s credibility, make compliance more complex and enforcement less effective.”
WWF calls on EU institutions, Member States and businesses to seize this moment to focus on implementation, cooperation and capacity‑building – ensuring the law delivers real benefits for forests, people and responsible companies.
As part of the broader EU deregulation agenda, policy-makers are increasingly framing environmental laws, including the EUDR, as an economic burden rather than a decision in the public interest. The impact of deregulation will be severe on EU citizens. From long-term health issues to higher insurance premiums and increased exposure to climate-related risks, it is people who will pay the price of disappearing forests.
The EUDR remains a landmark piece of legislation to tackle global deforestation and forest degradation linked to EU consumption. WWF research estimates that 100 trees are being cut every minute to make way for products consumed in the EU. Overall, each year of delay of EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implementation causes the loss of nearly 50 million trees, and the emission of 16.8 million tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 3.5 million gasoline-powered vehicles.
