By 371 to 240 votes, the European Parliament approved on Thursday (11/14) a delay in the enforcement of the Anti-Deforestation Law (EUDR). As a result, the new regulations will only come into effect from December 30, 2025, for medium and large companies, and from June 30, 2026, for small businesses.
The proposal for postponement was presented by the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, following pressure from exporting countries and member states. German representatives led the debate to approve the postponement of these directives.
The Parliament also approved eight amendments to the original text of the law. One change includes the creation of a “no-risk” deforestation category for countries or regions, a measure seen as unfavorable by negotiators and exporters.
Glauco Bertoldo, Brazil’s agricultural attaché to the EU, monitored the vote in Brussels and commented, “The interpretation is that countries without native forests will be classified as ‘no risk,’ thus imposing few, if any, compliance requirements.” On the other hand, he believes the discriminatory effects will be even greater for countries that don’t fall into this new category. Brazil is a major exporter to the EU.
Countries classified as “no risk” are defined as those with stable or growing forested areas. According to the approved amendments, they will face “significantly less stringent” requirements, as the risk of deforestation is considered negligible or nonexistent, the European Parliament stated in a note. The European Commission will need to complete a country benchmarking system by June 30, 2025.
Following the vote, the legislation will return to interinstitutional negotiations, with the final text required to be approved by the EU Council and Parliament before entering into force.
Adaptations
With the new deadline for compliance with the law—which bans the sale of products from seven supply chains originating from deforested areas after 2021—food-supplying countries will need to adjust to the stipulations that have progressed over the year. The main requirement is georeferencing of rural areas to prove that production is not from deforested land.