+32 2 556 25 89
info@europanels.org

UPDATES ON THE EU DEFORESTATION REGULATION (EUDR)

European Panel FederationGreen DealUPDATES ON THE EU DEFORESTATION REGULATION (EUDR)
EUTR&FLEGT

UPDATES ON THE EU DEFORESTATION REGULATION (EUDR)

Background: Related Legislation and Strategies

The EUDR builds on existing EU policies, including the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan and the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). While the FLEGT Action Plan addresses illegal logging and associated trade, it does not directly tackle deforestation. The EUTR, which prohibits the placement of illegally harvested timber on the EU market, will eventually be repealed and replaced by the more comprehensive EUDR.

This regulation aligns with the EU’s 2019 Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests, the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030.

Deliverables, Implementation and Compliance

  • Due Diligence Obligations: establishment of comprehensive due diligence systems to trace the origins of companies’ products. This includes collecting detailed geolocation data and conducting rigorous risk assessments to ensure compliance with anti-deforestation criteria.
  • Reporting and Transparency: Businesses are required to submit regular reports detailing their due diligence efforts. This transparency ensures that the public and regulators can verify compliance with the EUDR.
  • Penalties for Non-compliance: The regulation includes stringent penalties for non-compliance, ranging from fines to bans on placing non-compliant products on the EU market.

Key Deliverables

  • FAQs: Update announced for May 2024 but is delayed. More than 40 new questions and answers, as well as additional clarifications on existing questions are expected.
  • Guidance: Still missing. No consultation is foreseen prior to publication.
  • Benchmarking: Guidehouse and European Commission are currently collecting data. More information will be provided in due time.
  • Information System: Ongoing API conformance testing. More than 70 companies have applied and are reaching the lasts steps. No second testing foreseen.

Scheme on API Conformance Tests for the EUDR Information System

EPF Summary position and sustainability commitment

  • Supporting the fight against global deforestation. It is essential to mitigate climate change, preserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable raw materials and supply chains.
  • Strong commitment to meeting the requirements of EUDR in full such that WPB placed on the European market may remain role model products.
  • Ensuring full compliance for producers: the European Commission and national competent authorities shall provide them with sufficient time to adapt, right guidance for implementation and efficient tools to do so.

EPF Next Steps

  • Continuous advocacy with focus on 3 key elements:
  1. Compliance: following legislation.
  2. Non-compliance: non-EU imports to be held to the same standards.
  3. Delay or transitional grace period: the EUDR requires to be implemented successfully.
  • Next Steps related to EUDR Advocacy actions will be discussed during the internal meeting of the Certification Task Force schedule on 26 September 2024.
Verified by ExactMetrics