The European Union will delay the implementation of its EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for a second time to 30 December 2026, citing IT issues and other risks.
Initially due to come into effect at the end of last year, the EUDR seeks to ban imports of commodities such as palm oil and cocoa that are linked to forest destruction.
It requires importers to perform due diligence and submit evidence that the products brought to the EU market are deforestation-free and are legally produced.
For ingredient suppliers who are first importers, that means establishing traceability of the supply chain down to farm level and providing geolocation data in the form of GeoJson polygon mapping for products entering the EU.
Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the postponement was necessary to address concerns about the readiness of IT systems needed to support the EUDR.
“We have concern regarding the IT system, given the amount of information that we put into the system...That will...also give us time to look at the different risks," she told reporters, according to Reuters.
The delay follows opposition from industry and trade partners like Brazil, Indonesia and the United States, who complained about the cost of compliance.
