The European Parliament has officially adopted targeted changes to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which were already informally agreed with European Union (EU) member states on 4 December 2025.
All businesses will have one more year to comply with the rules, which was adopted in 2023, with large operators and traders now needing to apply the regulation from 30 December 2026. Small operators with fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover related to the products concerned of less that €10 million (US$11.74 million) will need to apply the regulation from 30 June 2027.
Due diligence requirements have also been simplified as part of the delays. Micro and small primary operators will now only have to submit a one-off simplified declaration, making it easier for businesses to comply with the law without compromising on its objectives.
Printed products have also been removed from the scope of the regulations.
After the vote, Parliament’s Rapporteur Christine Schenider says, despite the new round of changes, the EUDR is still capable of preventing deforestation and forest degradation.
“The heart of the EU deforestation regulation remains intact. We are protecting forests that face a real risk of deforestation, while avoiding unnecessary obligations in areas where no such risk exists,” says Schneider.
“This agreement takes the concerns of farmers, foresters, and businesses seriously and ensures that the regulation can be implemented in a practical and workable way.”
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest – an area larger than the EU – were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. EU consumption is responsible for around 10 per cent of global deforestation.
