EU Reaches Provisional Deal to Delay Deforestation Law by One Year and Ease Compliance

Overview

• Negotiators from the European Commission, Parliament and Council agreed on 4 December in Brussels to revise the EU Deforestation Regulation.
• Application would be pushed back by one year to late 2026, doubling the Commission’s initial proposal, and an additional six‑month grace period would be removed.
• Only companies placing a product on the EU market for the first time would need to submit a due‑diligence declaration, with retailers and downstream firms exempt.
• Micro and small businesses would make a single simplified filing with a declaration identifier, and certain printed products such as books and newspapers would be excluded from scope.
• Officials cite pressure from industry and trading partners and report IT capacity has been resolved, while Green lawmakers criticize the delay and conservative MEPs and industry groups praise the simplifications.