EUDR delay confirmed after European Parliament vote
Third countries, member states, operators and traders will have more time to prepare for the âdue diligence obligationsâ imposed by the European Deforestation Regulation.
The approval came following a vote in a European Parliament plenary session today (14 November). Though the European Parliament voted to delay EUDR, a large majority of MEPs abstained, with votes in favour securing only a small majority compared to votes against.
A package of nine amendments to the EUDR bill were voted on, plus the vote to delay, with all but one â amendment 12 â being adopted.Â
A two-year extension â instead of the one-year as proposed by the European Commission â was removed.Â
The vote on the European Commission’s proposal to delay implementation received 371 in favour and 641 MEPs abstained from the vote.Â
There was, however, a delay to voting due to a technical issue at amendment six, though the plenary head refused to allow for a second vote, issues carried on throughout.
Under the revised schedule, large businesses and operators have until 30 December 2025 to comply. Small and micro enterprises have until 30 June 2026.Â
Although a delay on the requirements to provide legal documentation to trade various commodities in and out of the EU has been agreed, EUDR has been in force since 29 June 2023â.
A new ‘loophole’ was also introduced through the package of amendments for products from ‘no-risk’ countries, eliminating red tape.Â
The new ‘no risk’ category is for countries where deforestation is risk is considered small or non-existent and is intended for countries with stable or growing forests.
Charities have since lashed out at the decision to delay, calling it a âdisasterâ, and criticising the European authorities of environmental genocide.
Earthsight criticised the ‘no-risk’ amendment, calling the determining criteria “arbitrary”.Â
“The amendments create a dangerous loophole that could open the floodgates for products produced in high-risk countries to be laundered through no-risk countries.”
This story is being updatedâŠâ
