EUDR delays alleviate compliance burdens, while others worry that forests are still at risk. Photo credit: Rainforest Alliance
On December 19, 2025, the European Parliament and Commission approved a second one-year pause in the application of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The amendment was officially published the day before Christmas Eve, on December 23, as an unintended gift for many companies, countries, producers, and value networks struggling to comply.
The new dates for the regulation implementation are:
- December 30, 2026, for large companies, non-SME operators, and traders
- June 30, 2027, for micro and small undertakings
The amendment also sets a new due date for the broader evaluation of the regulation. The general review of the EUDR is now scheduled for June 30, 2030, with the main objective of allowing the Commission to assess the regulation based on actual enforcement experience.
For many companies and producing countries that have already invested significant resources, are prepared to comply, and oppose this postponement, the amendment sets out five main considerations. These considerations include the need to do the following:
- Reassess and adjust the regulation to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens that could affect EU competitiveness;
- Further prepare the EU information system, launched on December 4, 2024, to handle a significantly higher volume of interactions than initially anticipated;
- Simplify procedures and requirements to remove avoidable regulatory burdens;
- Give companies, producing countries, operators, and traders enough time to fully comply with their obligations; and
- Finish technical developments of the system, including its integration with customs interfaces.
Beyond delaying implementation, the amendment introduces significant adjustments. These include changes to certain definitions and categories, reductions in reporting and due diligence obligations for specific actors, and additional ways to provide traceability information. In particular, the amendment creates two new categories, “micro or small primary operator” and “downstream operator,” both subject to reduced and more focused reporting requirements, explicitly designed to limit their interaction with the EU information system.
All these measures are presented by EU institutions as adjustments adopted while maintaining the objectives of the regulation, namely to prevent deforestation-linked products from being placed on or exported from the EU market.
Responses to the second postponement and related changes to the EUDR have been mixed. Coverage that supports the postponement emphasizes that lawmakers and some industry associations view the delay as a pragmatic response to implementation challenges.
Euronews reported that, in the European Parliament's vote to delay and soften the deforestation regulation, some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) welcomed the postponement, arguing that it will give “authorities and operators the time needed to implement the rules properly.” This reflects a pro-delay position that frames the postponement as a way to reduce unnecessary burdens on farmers, value networks, and businesses while preserving the core objectives of the law.
Criticism of the postponement mainly comes from entrepreneurs, environmentalists, and civil society perspectives. The Rainforest Alliance, in a response to the Commission’s proposal to delay the EUDR again, stated that it “regrets the agreement” to postpone the regulation and expressed concern that the decision “seriously harms the credibility of the EU” and adds to uncertainty for businesses and producers who had invested in compliance. This reaction reflects concern that repeated postponements risk weakening the regulation’s impact and undermining legal certainty.
At the same time, companies that invested early in EUDR compliance have expressed frustration, noting that repeated changes to timelines and requirements increase costs and uncertainty, and may disadvantage first movers. For these actors, the amendment also highlights broader questions around regulatory predictability and the stability of EU sustainability policy.
For now, aside from the amendment, the EU Parliament and Commission have maintained the main objectives and the spirit of the EUDR and hope that the implementation commitment is underway, which might just be an ethical Christmas gift for future generations.
