EU Green Deal commitment reaffirmed amidst calls for EUDR delay

Though she acknowledged the need to better address concerns from the EU's trading partners affected by such European legislation.

In her political guidelines​​, von der Leyen appeared to address criticism of the EU’s management of new regulation such as the EUDR, stating: "We need a more systematic approach to assessing the impact of our laws on non-EU countries, and we need to provide more targeted support to help them adjust to and benefit from those laws."

She highlighted the importance of making business easier and faster in Europe, with a focus on speed, coherence, and simplification. Each Commissioner will be tasked with reducing administrative burdens and simplifying implementation through regular dialogues with stakeholders.

EUDR implementation 

There have been calls for the postponement of the entry into force of the deforestation regulation from EU farming ministers, multiple industry groups, and the EU’s trading partners such as the US​​.

Last month saw Peter Liese, the EPP's environmental spokesperson, call for a delay and fundamental revision​​ of the EUDR. While he supports the regulation’s aims, he described it as a "bureaucratic monster" that is unmanageable for small farmers.

Liese is optimistic about a postponement, suggesting it could pass quickly through Parliament.

“We can adopt the postponement in the short-term making use of the urgent procedure so that all sides have time to breathe and then calmly discuss changes to the text that mean less bureaucracy but still protection against deforestation,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, Earthsight, a non-profit organization, has again urged the Commission to resist industry pressure​​ for a deferral of the EUDR implementation date.

“Delay cannot be an option: the EUDR, implemented on time and effectively enforced, is imperative to ensuring European consumption stops driving deforestation overseas, and to meeting the EU’s climate and biodiversity goals.”