European Legislators Plan to Delay Deforestation Law (EUDR) a Year

The European Commission yesterday said it plans to delay enforcement of the landmark deforestation-free supply chain law, known as EUDR, for 12 months.

The announcement comes amidst a chorus of calls from coffee industry representatives and coffee producer advocates to delay enforcement since the law was signed in 2023. Meanwhile, critics of yesterday’s decision have suggested the Commission is leaving the door open to continued environmental degradation.

Prominent voices from throughout the coffee industry — including European trade associations, large roasting companies, certain coffee-producing countries and producer representatives — have each argued that more time is needed for compliance. In their calls, those groups have warned that the most vulnerable actors in the coffee production chain, such as smallholder farmers or producers from certain countries, may be shut out of future trade because they may lack resources for compliance.

In its announcement yesterday, the European Commission provided additional guidance documentation to encourage regulatory compliance.

European Commission press photo.

“Given the EUDR’s novel character, the swift calendar, and the variety of international stakeholders involved, the Commission considers that a 12-month additional time to phase in the system is a balanced solution to support operators around the world in securing a smooth implementation from the start,” the group wrote. “With this step, the Commission aims to provide certainty about the way forward and to ensure the success of the EUDR, which is paramount to address the EU’s contribution to the pressing global issue of deforestation.”

Enforcement of the law for large European corporations was scheduled to take effect Dec. 30 of this year, with enforcement for smaller corporations coming a year later. If European Parliament adopts the delay, as expected, enforcement for both would be pushed back to Dec. 30, 2025 and 2026, respectively.

A new consortium of organizations focused on coffee sector sustainability called the VOCAL Alliance said that it welcomed the release of new compliance guidance documents, while warning that the delay might result in “renegotiation of the substance of the regulation.”

“We urge the coffee sector to use these extra months wisely, and put all their energy in getting ready, not in pushing back at the regulation,” VOCAL Alliance Co-Founder Antonie Fountain said in a statement shared with Daily Coffee News. “The time for mandatory compliance was yesterday, not next year.”

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