European Parliament Votes to Delay EUDR

A week after European Union member states adopted a “negotiating mandate” to delay Europe’s new anti-deforestation supply chain law (EUDR), the European Parliament followed suit, voting to push back enforcement another year.

In a Nov. 26 vote, the Parliament approved a package of “simplification measures” that includes pushing enforcement of the law to Dec. 30, 2026, for large companies, and June 30, 2027, for small companies.

Adopted in 2023, the law is designed to ensure that products sold in the EU are not traced back to deforestation linked to coffee, cocoa, palm oil, soy, cattle, rubber or wood. Importers and traders must prove that coffee is legally produced and deforestation-free by including farm-level geolocation in electronically filed due diligence statements.

Enforcement was originally slated for late 2024, but lawmakers last year approved a similar one-year delay. The latest delay is not yet official — it still requires a signed amendment between the European Parliament and the Council — but both bodies have now voted in favor.

EUDR remains contentious in the coffee industry, which has a history of both sustainability innovation and greenwashing. Coffee has been cited as a driver of tropical deforestation, yet it can also help protect forests and contribute to biodiversity in certain systems.

Producer groups, traders and large European roasters have repeatedly warned that poorly designed rules or last-minute changes could shut smallholder farmers out of the EU market, even as other companies and NGOs argue that long-signaled timelines and clear enforcement are needed to keep coffee-linked deforestation in check.

A coalition of more than 30 companies, NGOs and multi-stakeholder groups spanning the cocoa, coffee and palm oil sectors recently warned that another one-year postponement would prolong legal uncertainty and risk weakening momentum for implementation.

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