BRUSSELS — The European Parliament voted Nov. 14 to delay for one year the implementation of the European Union  Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that was set to go into effect Dec. 30 of this year. The law would have banned the import of commodities linked to deforestation. 

With today's vote, the regulation adopted by the Parliament on April 19, 2023, will not go into effect until December 2025. The Parliament said it agreed to this postponement as well as other amendments with 371 votes to 240 and 30 abstentions.

The regulation aims to fight climate change and biodiversity loss by preventing deforestation related to EU consumption of products from wood, cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, soya, rubber, charcoal and printed paper. 

In response to concerns raised by EU member states, non-EU countries, traders and operators that they would not be able to fully comply with the rules within the current timeline, the Commission proposed postponing the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year. 

In October, 2024, the European Commission proposed delaying EUDR implementation until Dec. 30, 2025, for large companies and June 30, 2026, for micro and small enterprises. to deal with the proposal under the urgency procedure - Rule 170(6). 

The legislators voted on the delay proposal, and on several new amendments proposed by the political groups, including the creation of a new category of countries posing “no risk” on deforestation, including the United States, which would come with less stringent requirements.