EU backs another one-year delay for EUDR antideforestation law

Mongabay
Mongabay
2M ago
The EU's decision to delay the EUDR raises significant concerns about the future of antideforestation efforts, with critics warning that the law may become ineffective due to ongoing amendments and exemptions.
EU backs another one-year delay for EUDR antideforestation law

Key insights

  • 1

    Law faces significant delays: The EUDR's implementation has been postponed multiple times, raising concerns about its effectiveness.

  • 2

    Exemptions weaken the law: New amendments introduce exemptions that could undermine the law's goals.

  • 3

    Market uncertainty grows: Businesses express concerns over instability due to the ongoing delays and changes.

A What happened
On November 26, 2025, the European Parliament voted to delay the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for another year, citing technical concerns. This amendment, which passed with a vote of 402 to 250, pushes the law's start date to December 30, 2026, with a grace period for small businesses until June 30, 2027. The EUDR aims to ban imports of goods like soy, beef, cocoa, and palm oil from areas deforested after 2020. Critics, including environmental NGOs, warn that the delay and proposed exemptions weaken the law significantly. Changes include removing printed books and newspapers from the law's scope and exempting small operators from low-risk countries. The proposed revisions will now enter informal negotiations before returning to the parliament for ratification, potentially leading to further amendments and legal uncertainty.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Climate & Environment Climate Change Sustainability

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