,The European Union has adopted amendments to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 through Regulation (EU) 2025/2650, introducing targeted changes aimed at simplifying compliance obligations and postponing the application timeline for certain operators. Originally adopted in 2023 under the European Commission’s European Green Deal framework, the EUDR seeks to minimize the risk that products placed on the EU market contribute to deforestation and forest degradation. The regulation covers key commodities including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soya, and wood, as well as derived products such as leather, chocolate, tyres, and furniture. Under the revised framework, companies placing these products on the EU market must demonstrate that they are deforestation-free and comply with the laws of the country of production. This requires operators to conduct due diligence by collecting traceability data such as the country of production, supplier information, geolocation coordinates of production plots, and product quantities, and submitting a due diligence statement through an electronic system for verification by national authorities. The amendment introduces several targeted adjustments to reduce administrative burdens. In particular, only operators that first place the product on the EU market will be required to submit due diligence statements, while downstream operators that subsequently commercialize the products will no longer have this obligation. Additionally, micro- and small-sized enterprises located in low-risk countries may submit a one-time simplified declaration instead of regular due diligence statements. The revised regulation also postpones the application date to 30 December 2026, while micro- and small enterprises will have until 30 June 2027 to comply. The deadline for competent authorities to begin enforcement checks has been postponed to 30 June 2026. Furthermore, the European Commission must present by 30 April 2026 a report evaluating the administrative burden and overall impact of the regulation, particularly on smaller operators. Additional changes include the removal of certain printed products (such as books and newspapers) from the scope of the regulation, as well as requirements for national authorities to report technical issues related to the EU information system used for compliance. The regulation also encourages ongoing dialogue with stakeholders through the Commission’s multi-stakeholder platform on protecting and restoring the world’s forests. The amended regulation was formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, signed on 19 December 2025, and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 23 December 2025, entering into force three days later.
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