The European Parliament today adopted its position for negotiations with the Council on the proposal amending the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The mandate reflects many of the practical solutions long advocated by the ECR Group, including substantial postponements and simplified requirements aimed at avoiding legal uncertainty and disproportionate burdens for operators.

Thanks to ECR-backed amendments, the Parliament has now supported a significant delay in the application of the Regulation: until 30 December 2026 for medium and large enterprises, and 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators. The mandate also maintains the principle of a single due-diligence statement, preserves the “downstream operator” category, and upholds a simplified regime for small primary operators — allowing, for example, the use of an address rather than precise geolocation and the use of national registers.

Speaking after the vote, ECR Shadow Rapporteur Anna Zalewska said:

“Today’s vote brings back long-awaited realism to the Deforestation Regulation. We have prevented a situation where thousands of companies would have been pushed into legal and administrative chaos on 1 January without the systems, guidance or registers to comply.”

“Forestry, sawmills, the wood-processing sector, furniture manufacturers and cattle farmers have all warned that entering the regulation would have risked disrupting supply chains and damaging exports. Parliament has finally listened — and acted.”

“The postponement and simplifications adopted today are essential to safeguard European competitiveness while keeping the overall goals of the regulation intact. This is a victory for common sense.”

The ECR Group also pushed for a more ambitious review clause that would have obliged the Commission to present a legislative simplification proposal early next year, particularly regarding geolocation and legality documentation. While the majority stopped short of making this requirement mandatory, the final text still keeps open the possibility for targeted improvements in 2026.

With the Parliament and Council now aligned, swift trilogue negotiations are expected. The ECR will continue working to ensure that the final agreement provides operators with workable, proportionate rules and enough time to prepare their systems properly.