EUDR: Latest News & Updates
On October 21st, the EU announced new (proposed) amendments for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This latest development, which clarifies the deadlines as well as obligations of large operators and small operators and traders, is the latest twist in a 2-year saga as EUDR was originally scheduled for December 30th, 2024. It follows the July 9th EU Parliament vote, rejecting the Country Benchmarking (Classification) System and the subsequent September 23rd letter from European Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall proposing another 1-year delay due to IT issues. CLICK HERE to get in touch with our dedicated EUDR team and scroll below for more information.
EDITOR’S NOTE: TBG has been working closely with global corporations/multinationals since 2023 to address their EUDR obligations. Just CLICK HERE to learn more about EUDR, and CLICK HERE to get in touch with our dedicated EUDR team so we can get your compliance process underway.
What You Need to Know:
The latest proposal maintains the December 30th, 2025 deadline for large operators (entities that are responsible for placing or making available products in the EU marketplace) but there will be a six-month grade period before checks and enforcement commence.
For micro- and small enterprises, the deadline is extended by a one-year to December 30, 2026. As the EU notes, this “allows economic operators to start complying with their obligations in line with the entry into application, while providing them with a grace period to adapt to the legislative changes.”
Downstream small and medium operators and traders will not be required to submit due diligence statements. Only one submission in the IT system will be required for the entire supply chain. In other words, the operator that places the product (or makes it available) in the market is responsible for reporting obligations.
The proposal must still be formally adopted. See next section.
What’s Next?
The latest proposal is still a proposal — the amendments must be formally adopted before they can be enforced. It will now go to the EU Parliament and EU Council -- both bodies must approve the (latest) proposal comes into force. MEPs will also debate the amendments, including the "zero-risk" exemption, streamlined reporting, enhanced data interoperability -- during the March, 2026 plenary. The Council is expected to vote during the April, 2026 meeting of ministers. In the meantime, given the last-minute changes, the EU Commission has noted that it is working on back-up plans.
What Should Companies/Operators Do?
The EUDR saga can seem confusing so it is important to get the right guidance and support. We strongly recommend an EUDR Check-Up to determine your overall progress and obligations. This is a free service from TBG’s EUDR team that enables operators (of all sizes/categories) to quickly determine overall compliance and obligations ahead of the December 30th (2025 and 2026) deadlines.
How Does the EU Classify Companies?
“Operators” refers to large corporations/multinationals that are responsible for “placing products on (or making those products available in) the EU marketplace” and that sit above the revenue and employee threshold determined for SMEs. Conversely, “small” operators refers to SMEs and small companies based on the the following (staff and personnel) EU guideline:
medium companies (defined as those <250 employees and turnover of <€50 million),
small companies (defined as those with <50 employees and a turnover of <€10 million)
micro-enterprises (defined as those with <10 employees and a turnover of <€2million)
Resources:
Access the latest EU/EUDR communication here.
Access TBG’s sustainability solutions here.
Excerpts from Commissioner Roswall’s September 23rd letter:
“Based on the available information, the Commission’s assessment is that this [new projections on the number of expected operations and interactions between economic operators and the IT system has led to a substantial upward reassessment of the projected load on the IT system] will very likely lead to the system slowing down to unacceptable levels or even to repeated and long-lasting disruptions, which would negatively impact companies and their possibilities to comply with the EUDR. Operators would be unable to register as economic operators, introduce their Due Diligence Statements, retrieve the necessary information from the IT system, or provide the necessary information for customs purposes where relevant. This would severely impact the achievement of the objectives of EUDR, but also potentially affect trade flows in the areas covered by the legislation.”
“Despite efforts to address the issues in time for the entry into application of the EUDR, it is not possible to have sufficient guarantees that the IT system will be able to sustain the level of the expected load.”
