The European Commission is working on implementing a new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to help companies with less red tape for their businesses while keeping its commitment to combat deforestation.
The main target is to prevent EU goods from contributing significantly to deforestation within and outside the bloc. Some of the main simplifications relate to due diligence practices. Large companies are now allowed to reuse the same statements for re-imported goods that were already in the EU market.
In addition, companies can now file due diligence statements annually rather than once every shipment of goods and can indicate an authorised representative for submission. In the eyes of the Commission, all of that simplification means benefits for companies and checking systems, as they avoid extra burdens and speed up processes. This is one of the key issues raised by industries affected by the EUDR.
The Commission acknowledges the dual nature of these new regulations, with Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall saying that “our aim is to reduce administrative burden for companies while preserving the goals of the regulation. We will continue to work very closely with all stakeholders, to ensure that our rules deliver on reducing global deforestation and forest degradation in the least burdensome way for companies.”
The Commission released two new documents on the issue, an updated guidance and some frequently asked questions that should help companies navigate the new regulation, plus a Delegated Act. These interventions will help harmonise the regulation across the bloc. An implementation act will harmonise the system across the EU. The Commission plans to approve it by the end of June.
