The European Commission has proposed a postponement of the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), new legislation that will require seven vital commodities, including coffee, imported into the European Union to prove the land on which they were grown was not deforested after 2020.
The regulation, which was due to be implemented in December 2024, is set to affect coffee farmers across the world. In the new proposal, large companies will now have until 30 December 2025, and small enterprises until 30 June 2026, to prepare.
In June 2024, seven members of International Coffee Partners, a consortium of some of the world’s largest coffee companies, called for a delay in the implementation of the legislation, citing the need for farmers to build the technical capacity and knowledge for a smooth transition.
In a statement in October 2024, the Commission said since all the implementation tools are technically ready, the extra 12 months can serve as a phasing-in period to ensure proper and effective implementation. The Commission also published additional guidance documents and a stronger international cooperation framework to support global stakeholders, Member States, and third countries in their preparation of the EUDR.
“The Commission recognises 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,” the Commission said.
“Moreover, the state of preparations amongst stakeholders in Europe is also uneven. While many expect to be ready in time, thanks to intensive preparations, others have expressed concerns.”
Key areas covered in the guidance documents include details on the functionalities of the Information System, updates on penalties, and clarifications on critical definitions such as forest degradation, operator in the scope of the law, and placing on the market. There is also further guidance on traceability obligations.
Published alongside the guidance documents, the latest FAQ features more than 40 new additional answers to address questions raised by a diverse range of international stakeholders.
Micro and small companies benefit from a lighter regime, which is also detailed on a new dedicated webpage.
Information for the general public on the Commission website has also been updated and reorganised for easier understanding by all.
Furthermore, the Commission has published the principles of the methodology it will apply to the EUDR benchmarking exercise, serving to classify countries as low, standard, or high risk, aiming to facilitate operators’ due diligence processes and enable competent authorities to effectively monitor and enforce compliance.
Following the methodology applied, most countries worldwide will be classified as low risk. This will give the opportunity to focus collective efforts where deforestation challenges are more acute.
Finally, the Commission says the Information System through which businesses will register their due diligence statements will be ready to start accepting registrations in early November and for full operation in December.
