BRUSSELS, September 25, 2025 – The European Commission is facing sharp criticism after proposing a further delay to the enforcement of its flagship EU Deforestation Regulation [EUDR] – this time until the end of 2026. The regulation, which still requires approval from the European Parliament and EU member states, would be postponed for a second time, with the Commission citing “serious IT capacity concerns” that could prevent the compliance system from operating effectively at scale.
In a letter published Tuesday, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, wrote:
“Despite efforts to address the issues in time for the EUDR’s entry into application, it is not possible to guarantee that the IT system can handle the expected load. In view of this, the Commission is considering a postponement of the entry into application of the EUDR, currently foreseen for 30 December 2025, for one year…”
The EUDR, which would require companies to submit a “due diligence” statement backed by geolocation data to prove their products are not sourced from land deforested after 2020, was originally due to come into force in December 2024. The legislation affects a wide range of supply chains, including cocoa, soy, coffee, palm oil, and beef.
The Commission argues that launching the EUDR with an underdeveloped IT system could trigger supply chain disruptions and create uncertainty. However, environmental organisations have condemned the proposed delay, with some questioning the credibility of the IT issues.
“It is probably no coincidence that this move comes just as the Commission pushes an unprecedented deregulation agenda, effectively throwing the EUDR under the bus. This is unacceptable and a major embarrassment for President von der Leyen and her Commission,” said Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Forest Policy Manager at WWF’s European Policy Office.
“If this technical issue is genuine, it reveals not only incompetence, but also a clear lack of political will to invest adequately in the timely implementation of the EUDR.”
Environmental law charity ClientEarth was similarly scathing, calling the justification “ludicrous”.
“The Commission is making a fool of itself by using its own inadequate IT system as an excuse to delay the world’s most important forest law for the second time in 12 months,” said ClientEarth lawyer Michael Rice.
“The Commission, along with all member states, has had ample time to prepare — after all, they wrote and negotiated the law. There has already been a year’s delay, and businesses, EU states and third-country governments have made significant investments to comply on time. We’ve heard that smallholder farmers in remote parts of Cameroon and Indonesia can meet the regulation’s requirements — yet the European Commission cannot?”
Relief for some, setback for others
While environmental groups have decried the delay, some businesses have welcomed the proposal, saying it provides valuable time for preparation, risk assessments, and system testing. In July, Mondelez – owner of brands such as Oreo and Cadbury – formally requested a 12-month delay, citing volatile cocoa prices, infrastructure gaps, and challenges faced by smallholder farmers.
The Indonesian Palm Oil Association [GAPKI] expressed support for the EUDR’s objective of reducing global deforestation but raised concerns about the risk of exclusion from EU markets.
“GAPKI has consistently called for the sustainable development needs of smallholders — whether in palm oil, rubber, coffee, timber, or cocoa — to be recognised within the regulation. We have also urged that local sustainability certification approaches be taken into account,” the association stated.
However, NGO Mighty Earth warned that any further postponement would “massively disadvantage” countries and companies that have already made efforts to comply by the expected December 2025 implementation date.
“It also ignores the will of EU citizens, who do not want to buy products linked to deforestation. This proposal — coming during a climate, biodiversity, and deforestation crisis, and after record-breaking wildfires in Europe this summer — must be firmly rejected.”
The European Parliament and Council are expected to assess the Commission’s proposal before the end of the year.
https://thecooperator.news/more-changes-to-the-eudr-considered-likely-before-implementation/
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