Reacting to pressure from various business entities worldwide, the European Commission has proposed a one-year delay for the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Aimed at fighting deforestation, the new rules will require companies to provide documentation for each product sold into the EU, including paper, proving that none of its materials originated from trees in areas facing deforestation.
EUDR was set to go into effect for large companies this December 31 and on June 30, 2025, for small firms. In announcing its decision, the European Commission stated that “the Commission recognizes that three months ahead of the intended implementation date, several global partners have repeatedly expressed concerns about their state of preparedness, most recently during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York.”
While the regulations had been in place for many products under the European Union Timber Regulations, the updated EUDR marks the first time printed matter will be included. Companies throughout the book publishing supply chain had been concerned that EUDR, whose documentation demands are copious, was being implemented too quickly. The issue was one of the major focuses of Tuesday’s Book Manufacturing Mastered program, held by the Book Manufacturers’ Institute, where a number of speakers voiced their hopes that enforcement, if not outright implementation, would be postponed.
In announcing its decision, the Commission added that, since all implementation tools are ready on the governmental side, it will use the extra 12 months as a phasing-in period. Provided that the delay is approved by the European Parliament, the EUDR will go into effect next December 31, 2025 for large companies, but not until June 30, 2026, for smaller companies. In addition to proposing to delay the EUDR’s implementation, the Commission published new guidance documents, updated FAQs, and an international cooperation framework to support global stakeholders, member states, and other countries in their preparations for the implementation.
The proposed postponement angered environmental groups, who are concerned that the delay will weaken the EUDR’s impact. The worldwide paper and pulp industry had a different reaction. The Confederation of European Paper Industries told the publication Fastmarkets that the delay would allow for a better implementation of the regulation and stronger impact on deforestation. “The EUDR is too important not to get it right,” said its director general, Jori Ringman, in a statement.
Matt Baehr, executive director for the BMI, had a similar reaction. "We’re happy to hear that the EU has heard concerns from around the world and look forward to future guidance around EUDR so that publishers, book manufacturers, and suppliers alike can work together to adhere to the regulation," Baehr told PW.
This story has been updated.
