Today, we sent a letter to the European Commission urging a pragmatic and politically realistic approach to the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that promotes trade, competitiveness and innovation. The letter highlights the need for a solution that safeguards sustainability goals while ensuring practical implementation for all actors in the value chain.

Download the letter here>>>

Zero Deforestation: A Non-Negotiable Goal  

Zero deforestation is not just an environmental priority. It is a driver of innovation, competitiveness, growth, and responsible development. Traceability and due diligence are essential technological and business tools to strength trust and competitiveness, not mere bureaucratic burdens.

Beyond Delays: A Realistic Path Forward    

While welcoming the Commission’s willingness to revise the EUDR and address operational challenges, we warn that further postponements or reopening the entire Regulation would only create more uncertainty. Instead, we propose a constructive path forward that focuses on implementation, cooperation, and fairness, especially for smallholders and SMEs who risk being left behind.

Three Concrete Steps for a Working EUDR

Our proposal outlines three key actions to ensure a smooth and inclusive rollout of the Regulation:

• A 24-month testing phase (without sanctions): transforming the current six-month grace period into a structured testing opportunity for operators, national competent authorities, and the Commission to identify and resolve practical issues collaboratively.
  • Additional one-year testing phase (without sanctions) to the current proposal of one-years postponement for small and micro-operators, allowing SMEs and smallholders the time and support needed to adapt, strengthen capacity, and maintain access to EU markets.
• A Community of Practice or Steering Committee for each commodity chain: a multi-stakeholder platform involving producing countries, businesses, and technical experts to enable real-time problem solving and knowledge sharing.
• Dedicated public-private funding to support smallholders: a joint EU-led initiative to accelerate digital transformation, training, and capacity-building in producing countries, ensuring fair and sustainable access global trade.

Turning Ambition into Action

As we highlighted in our 2024 letter to the Commission, the EUDR must move forward, but in a way that allows all actors to test, learn, and improve without sanctions. A simple postponement or a “stop the clock” is not the answer, it’s actually the problem.

The past year has shown that delaying implementation only leads us back to the same point, with the same uncertainties. Now is the time to start, to make the Regulation work in practice, close the gaps, and turn ambition into tangible results for sustainable and competitive trade.