Publisher News
EUDR Delayed
EU to delay anti-deforestation law by another year
Emily Kotecki
Sep 25, 2025
Summary
- EU delays law again, citing IT system concerns
- U.S. and other major trade partners have opposed the law
- Law aims to curb global deforestation linked to EU consumption
- Environmental campaigners criticise delay
BRUSSELS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The European Union will delay launching its anti-deforestation law for a second time, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said on Tuesday, postponing the ban on imports of commodities such as palm oil linked to forest destruction for another year.
Brussels had already delayed the law by a year, but that had not quelled opposition from industry and trade partners such as Brazil, Indonesia and the United States, who say complying with the rules would be costly and hurt their exports to Europe.
Roswall told reporters the postponement was necessary to address concerns about the readiness of information-technology systems needed to support the law. The delay was not linked to U.S. concerns about the policy, she said.
"We have concern regarding the IT system, given the amount of information that we put into the system...That will...also give us time to look at the different risks," she said.
The world-first policy aims to end the 10% of global deforestation fuelled by EU consumption of imported goods, but is a politically contested part of Europe's green agenda.
As part of its trade deal with President Donald Trump, the EU committed to work to address U.S. producers' concerns over the regulation. The U.S. paper and pulp industry has previously demanded American products be exempted from the rules.
EU countries, including Poland and Austria, have said European producers cannot comply with its traceability rules. In a letter to the chair of the European Parliament's environment committee, seen by Reuters, Roswall said the Commission feared the IT system risked "slowing down to unacceptable levels" which could disrupt trade.
Environmental campaigners criticised the EU decision. "Every day this law is delayed equates to more forests razed, more wildfires and more extreme weather," said Nicole Polsterer, a campaigner at environmental group Fern.