The European Commission this week published a set of measures to reduce bureaucracy and simplify the implementation of its deforestation regulation, set to take effect at the end of the year. The main goal is to ease the burden on companies, with an estimated reduction of around 30% in costs and requirements for proving that products are deforestation-free.
The legislation, known as EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation), was approved in 2023 and requires proof that certain agricultural products are not associated with forest destruction throughout their supply chains. The law covers seven commodities and their derivatives: beef, soy, coffee, palm oil, timber, cocoa, and rubber.
The measures announced this week reduce the number of times companies must prove the absence of deforestation in production. Companies will now be allowed to reuse due diligence statements when products already marketed in the EU are reimported, and declarations may be submitted annually and through authorized representatives. Verification procedures for declarations have also been simplified.
However, these changes do not mean a relaxation of the deforestation rules, and the specific traceability verification obligations remain in force.
Brazil’s ambassador to the EU, Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva, responded positively to the measures, saying that any simplification in the EUDR is welcome. “In any case, it is important to stress that we continue to have structural concerns regarding the law,” he told Globo Rural. The country benchmarking system, which classifies the deforestation risk level of each exporter, is set to come into effect by June 30.
Analysts believe the simplification should have a positive impact on exports of products that are verifiably deforestation-free in their production. Those identified as high-risk, on the other hand, will not receive facilitated conditions and will continue to face strict controls to enter the European market.