The European Council has endorsed a proposal to delay the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by one year.
The EU's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), announced in late 2021 and intended to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit biodiversity loss, was due to come into force before the end of this year.
Under the regulations, companies selling cocoa, coffee, palm oil and other products in the EU would need to prove their supply chains do not contribute to deforestation.
However, earlier this month, amid claims the timetable was unworkable, the EU Commission put forward plans to delay the implementation of the rules.
Originally, the provisions were to be applied from 30 December this year but the Council has agreed to the Commission's suggestion to postpone this date to 30 December 2025 for large operators and traders and to 30 June 2026 for micro- and small enterprises.
The postponement is intended to provide “legal certainty, predictability and sufficient time” for a smooth transition and effective implementation of the rules, the Council said.
The rules include the establishment of comprehensive due diligence systems seen as crucial for identifying deforestation risks in supply chains and for monitoring and reporting measures to ensure compliance with EU regulations.
The Commission's proposal will now go to a vote before the European Parliament, which is also expected to back the delay.
Earlier this week, more than 200 civil society organisations from over 40 countries urged the European Parliament and national EU governments to reject the Commission’s proposal to postpone the deforestation law.
In a statement, the groups said: “By delaying its application and giving into the demands of vested interests, the European Commission is significantly undermining the EU’s credibility as a global leader in the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss and human rights violations.”
Last month, ahead of the Commission's proposal for a delay, industry sector bodies across a range of industries, including agri-food, media, packaging and timber, argued the implementation of EUDR, before the end of the year was “simply unfeasible”.
Some South-East Asian countries had also complained about the law.
In June, members of the US Department of Agriculture, the US Trade Representative office and Department of Commerce wrote to the European Commission to call for a delay.
