After many trips, only formalities remain before it is established that the controversial deforestation regulation EUDR will be postponed by one year. The postponement is also the only change implemented. Previous amendments hammered out by Parliament were scrapped when it came time for the Commission, the Council of Ministers and Parliament to agree on the final settlement.
'I am basically very critical of how this matter has been handled. However, it is good that the whole thing is postponed, but the fundamental problem with the deforestation regulation remains. Going forward, we expect better impact analyses from the EU Commission. The large administrative burden placed on the business world must be thought through more,' says TMF CEO Erik Haara.
The preliminary agreement must now be approved by the Council and Parliament. After that, all companies with wood raw materials in their value chain can prepare for the regulation to come into force on 30 December 2025 instead.
When the issue of delaying the deforestation regulation was debated in parliament earlier in November, some amendments were also made – including one that had added a category for countries without risk of deforestation. This point was then removed when it was time for the Commission, Council and Parliament to agree. It is thus clear that the decision taken yesterday only involves a postponement of the regulation.
'The postponement means a respite for our members, but there remain many questions about the implementation in Sweden - not least about possible sanctions. We are continuing the discussion with both the government and the Norwegian Forestry Agency to ensure that the deforestation regulation becomes manageable,' says Robin Ljungar, head of sustainability.
As part of the agreement, the Commission has committed to assessing simplified requirements in the future for countries that have demonstrated effective and sustainable forest management practices. An "emergency stop" was also included in the agreement, which means that the regulation can be postponed further if necessary.
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