"Commission welcomes provisional agreement on additional phase-in time for EU Deforestation Regulation," 3 December 2024

The Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal to grant a 12-month additional phasing-in period. This will ensure proper and effective implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), while preserving its integrity. The Commission's proposal came as a response to feedback received from international partners, Member States and companies about their state of preparations and to give all parties concerned sufficient time to prepare.

Once formally adopted, the law will become applicable on 30 December 2025 for large companies and 30 June 2026 for micro- and small enterprises. This will allow third countries, Member States, operators and traders an extra year to prepare for the implementation of the Regulation...

In the meantime, the Commission will continue providing further clarifications on the legislation and explore additional simplifications, in full compliance with the objectives of the Regulation, through updates of the guidelines and the frequently asked questions document. 

The Commission proposal was part of a broader package of support measures released on 2 October including additional guidance documents and a stronger international cooperation framework to support global stakeholders, Member States and third countries in their preparations for the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation. The Commission aims to finalise the country benchmarking system as soon as possible but no later than 30 June 2025, in dialogue with most concerned countries. The Information System where businesses will register their due diligence statements will enter into operation on 4 December.

Next steps

The European Parliament and the Council will now formally have to adopt the targeted amendment of the EU Deforestation Regulation before it can come into effect.