The European Commission won’t propose a delay of the anti-deforestation regulation for all companies, but only for compact and micro operators – not just farmers – that place commodities covered by the rules on the market, three parliamentary sources notified Euractiv.
EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall floated a one-year delay of the rules last month, which are set to come into force in December 2025, due to IT issues hampering their implementation.
The college of commissioners reached a decision on Tuesday, after intense neobtainediations on Monday between the cabinets of Vice-President Teresa Ribera, who was reportedly reluctant to reopen the file, and Roswall’s.
The anti-deforestation regulation will still enter into force on 31 December 2025 as originally planned, with the one-year postponement applying only to compact and micro operators dealing in products including cocoa, coffee, timber, palm oil, livestock, and rubber.
For these compact operators, the regulation’s enattempt into force could now be postponed until June 2027, since the original legislation already granted SMEs six additional months to implement the rules.
Penalties for all operators will also be delayed by six months, the sources added.
Small producers will also benefit from a simplified due diligence declaration – the document certifying that no forests were cleared to produce commodities entering the EU market.
The proposal will necessary approval of co-legislators, EU countries at the Council and MEPs, who can still push for more alters to the legislation.
(adm, mm)
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