One year postponement of EUDR almost certain!

Following the Council of the European Union's adoption of its negotiation position on the revision of the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) on November 19, 2025, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position today. Given that, on the basis of the press releases, both negotiating positions are quite similar, the adoption of the required changes to the EUDR before its current version is supposed to become effective by December 30, 2025 appears to be likely.

The EUDR seeks to prevent deforestation linked to EU consumption of cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, wood, rubber, charcoal, printed paper, and cattle products. After it was already delayed by one year at the end of last year, the EU Commission asked for an additional delay on September 23, 2025 and, with slight adjustments, on October 21, 2025.

Pursuant to the negotiating positions adopted by the Council and the Parliament:

• Companies will have an additional year to comply with the EUDR;
• Due diligence statements only need to be submitted by those companies who first introduce the relevant product onto the EU market;
• Downstream operators and traders will no longer have to submit separate due diligence statements;
• Micro and small businesses will benefit from being able to submit a one-off simplified declaration; and
• A simplification review will assess by April 2026 the EUDR's impact and administrative burden.

The European Commission, the Council, and the Parliament will now have to finalize the trilogue process for these changes. Once the revisions are formally approved, they will have to be published in the European Union's Official Journal. Given the alignment reached today, it appears to be realistic that the EUDR will be changed before the current version of the EUDR becomes effective on December 30, 2025.