WT/CTE/GEN/30  
 
13 June 2023 
(23-4028) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Environment  Original: English  
 
  
REGULATION ON DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION -FREE SUPPLY CHAINS  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION  
The following communication, dated 13 June 2023, is being circulated at the request of the  
Delegation of the European Union . 
 
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1. The E uropean Union  would like to inform the Members of the Committee on Trade and 
Environment that on 9 June 2023 it has published the text of Regulation (E U) 2023/1115 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council  of 31 May 2023  on the making available on the Union market 
and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation 
and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 ( the "Deforestation Regulation "). 
2. The Deforestation  Regulation enter s into force 20 days  following its publication in the Official 
Journal of the European Union , i.e. 29 June 2023.  Articles 3 to 13, Articles 16 to 24 and Articles 26, 
31 and  32 shall apply from 30 December 2024 . This is with the exception of the products covered 
in the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 995/2010  of the European Parliament and of the Council laying 
down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market (OJ L 177, 
7.7.2012, p.  16), with respect to operators  that by 31 December 2020 were established as 
micro -undertakings or small undertakings pursuant to Article 3(1) or (2) of Directive 2013/34/EU, 
respectively, and for which Articles 3 to 13, Articles 16 to 24 and Articles 26, 31 and 32 shall apply 
from 30 J une 2025.  
3. Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 is repealed with effect from 30 December 2024. However, 
Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 shall continue to apply until 31 December 2027 to timber and timber 
products as defined in Article 2, point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 that were produced 
before 29 June 2023 and placed on the market from 30 December 2024. By way of derogation from 
Article 1(2) of th e Deforestation Regulation, the timber and timber products as defined in Article 2, 
point (a), of  Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 that were produced before 29 June 2023 and placed on 
the market from 31 December 2027 shall comply with Article 3 of th e Deforestation  Regulation.  
4. Following the entry into force  of the Deforestation Regulation , the European Com mission will, 
after consultation of a committee, adopt by the date of entry into application implementing acts 
concerning implementation arrangements for the electronic interface for transmission of data  
(Article  28), the list of the countries or parts the reof, that present a low or high risk for deforestation  
(Article 29), and the establishment of rules for the functioning of the information system  (Article  33). 
The list for country risk categorisation will be assessed in accordance with the examination pr ocedure 
referred to in Article 36(2) . 
5. Within their respective spheres of competence, the European Commission, on behalf of the 
European Union, and interested Member States have engage d and will continue to engage in a 
coordinated approach with p artner  countries through existing and future relevant cooperation 
mechanisms. This, alongside exchange of information and coordination activities  with Member 
States , competent authorities  and affected stakeholders in the E uropean Union  and third countries, 
will suppo rt relevant actors with the entry into application of the Deforestation Regulation in 
December 2024.  WT/CTE/GEN/30  
 
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  6. The text of the Deforestation Regulation is available on the eur-lex website:  EUR-Lex - 
32023R1115 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) . 
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