DEEP DIVE: EU Deforestation Regulation Faces Uncertain Future

With the EU Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR) set to come into force on 30 December 2024, tensions over its implementation and enforcement guidelines are reaching a boiling point.

The EUDR, also known as Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, aims to curb global deforestation by targeting products created in or exported from the EU that originate from land impacted by deforestation that occurred after 31 December 2020. Anyone placing products on the EU market or exporting them from the EU market must also be able to demonstrate that they are compliant with relevant legislation regarding land use, labor rights, human rights, the rights of Indigenous peoples, and anti-corruption in the country of production.

The EUDR applies to seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood, as well as products derived from relevant commodities, including books, leather, chocolate, and wood products.