The European Parliament today voted to simplify the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a landmark law designed to ensure that products sold in the EU do not contribute to global deforestation.
Under the revised timeline, operators and traders would have until 30 December 2026 to comply, while micro and small businesses would benefit from an additional six-month cushion, extending their deadline to 30 June 2027.
For Europe’s retail and wholesale sector, represented by EuroCommerce, the vote marks a step towards a more workable regulation. The organisation appreciates the proposed measures, which aim to remove duplication of obligations without undermining the law’s core objective of halting deforestation. At the same time, they ask to recognise that retail and wholesale companies have already invested a lot of resources in preparing for the EUDR.
“Our sector fully supports the fight against deforestation,” stated Els Bedert, Director for Product Policy and Sustainability, “however, businesses need time to prepare for the implementation of the rules without disrupting trade flows or supply chains.”
As negotiations with the Council and Commission begin, EuroCommerce supports the following three points:
A realistic transition period: The sector supports the new deadline of December 2026 to allow time for technical and operational adaptations.
Streamlined due diligence: Due diligence obligations remain with the first placer on the market, eliminating the need to transmit or store reference numbers further down the supply chain.
A functional TRACES system: EuroCommerce points to the continued importance for a fully functional information system where proof of conformity is uploaded facilitating trade.
EuroCommerce is the principal European organisation representing the retail and wholesale sector. It embraces national associations in 28 countries and 5 million companies, including leading global players and many small businesses.
