The European Union’s antideforestation law, known as EUDR, has officially been delayed for a second year. The amendment was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Dec. 23, 2025.
The EUDR bans the import of commodities, including cocoa, coffee, soy, beef, timber, palm oil and rubber, that come from areas deforested after December 2020. Producers need to provide geolocalized data to prove that their commodities aren’t from land with recent deforestation.
The law was first approved in 2023 and originally set to apply from the beginning of 2024. But following pressure from producers, lobbyists and governments, the law was delayed for a year. Now, it has been pushed back another year.
The latest amendment approved by the EU notes that large operators will need to comply with the law from Dec. 31, 2026, and smaller operators from mid-2027. But European politicians also included a revision period in April 2026, opening space for further delays and rollbacks.
The following timeline details how the latest delay came about:
September 2025
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, says its IT system is not yet ready to handle the demands of the EUDR and proposes postponing it for another year.
October 2025
The European Council, comprised of EU leaders who set general political direction, proposes a soft delay of the law, rather than a postponement, proposing a six-month grace period. The proposal includes amendments that water down the law, such as an exemption for micro and small operators from low-risk countries.
November 2025
A few weeks later, the Council goes back on its grace period proposal and agrees to a hard delay of the regulation.
The European Parliament votes 402 to 250 in favor of the change. Lawmakers also add a last-minute amendment that excludes printed products from the scope of the law. A clause creating a review window for the law is also introduced.
The text is forwarded for informal negotiations between the EU’s three branches of government.
December 2025
The final text for the delay and weakening of the EUDR is passed by the European Parliament on Dec. 17. It is published as law on Dec. 23.
Banner image: European Parliament plenary session on Dec. 17. Image courtesy of the European Union.
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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