EU plans to delay deforestation law for small operators but excludes big players

The European Commission (EC) is planning to delay its anti-deforestation bill for small operators – including farmers – that place commodities covered by the rules on the market but will exclude big players, according to three parliamentary sources quoted in a Euroactiv report. Last month, European Union (EU) Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall had proposed a one-year delay of the EUDR, which was set to come into force in December 2025, due to IT issues holding back its implementation, the 21 October said. The college of commissioners reached a decision on 21 October following intense negotiations between the cabinets of Vice-President Teresa Ribera, who was reportedly reluctant to reopen the file, and Roswall’s. Despite the decision, the EUDR would still enter into force on 31 December 2025 as originally planned, with the postponement applied only to small and micro-operators trading in products including cocoa, coffee, timber, palm oil, livestock and rubber, Euroactiv ...