Objectives
The new rules aim to
Background
On 29 June 2023, the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) entered into force. The main driver of deforestation is the expansion of agricultural land linked to the production of commodities like cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and some of their derived products, such as leather, chocolate, tyres, or furniture. As a major economy and consumer of these commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation, the EU is partly responsible for this problem and it wants to lead the way to solving it. Under the Regulation, any operator or trader who places these commodities on the EU market, or exports from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation. The Regulation on deforestation-free products repeals the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). For timber products produced before the entry into force of the EUDR on 29 June 2023, the EUTR will continue applying until 31 December 2027. For other products and timber products produced after entry into force of the EUDR, the EUTR will be repealed when the EUDR enters into application. In December 2024 the European Union granted a 12-month additional phasing-in period, making the law applicable on 30 December 2025 for large and medium companies and 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises. Implementation
Read the guidance on the EUDR
Find more resources for implementing and complying with the EUDR
Member States Competent Authorities
EU Member States must designate one or more competent authorities responsible for fulfilling the obligations arising from this Regulation. Simplification
The EU is working with partner countries and companies to ensure a successful transition to deforestation-free supply chains. From April 2025 the Commission introduced simplifications to the EUDR to help reduce administrative burdens and facilitate the implementation of the Regulation. An Implementing Regulation classifies countries according to their risk of deforestation when producing the commodities covered by EUDR. The methodology is outlined in a Staff Working Document and in the Annex of the Strategic Framework. The Commission has carried out a consultation on a Delegated Act to further simplify and clarify the scope of EUDR. Other measures include:
Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Protecting and Restoring the World s Forests
The European Commission expert group brings together EU Member States, selected interested parties (mainly trade and business associations and NGOs), and third countries to present and discuss the main strands of work and identify best practices. EU observatory on deforestation and forest degradation
Building on existing monitoring tools (e.g. Copernicus and other publicly or privately available sources) the observatory will facilitate access to information on supply chains for businesses, public entities and consumers. It provides publicly available maps and datasets on changes in the world s forest cover and associated drivers. Visit the Observatory
Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains
Aligned with the EU s Global Gateway strategy, the Initiative aims to support partner countries to transition to sustainable, deforestation-free, and legal agricultural value chains.
The collaborative effort of the European Commission and EU Member States including Germany, the Netherlands and France, with an initial package of 70 million in funding to implement the Initiative. See more about the Team Europe Initiative
EUDR Information System
The Information System as set out in Art. 33 of the Regulation was launched on 4 December 2024. Registration for users of the system was opened on November 2024. Publications
Impact Assessment Minimising the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market :
Fitness Check on the EU Timber Regulation and the FLEGT Regulation
A Fitness Check of the EUTR and the FLEGT Regulation was performed in 2021 to evaluate their implementation and functioning, and assess if they were fit for purpose to halt illegal logging and associated trade. Find out more about the Fitness Check