A majority of EU ambassadors is advocating that the European Commission delay the enforcement of new anti-deforestation laws for everyone, not just small companies, three diplomatic sources told Euractiv on Wednesday.
The news comes amid a new push in Brussels to delay and simplify the implementation of the EU’s new deforestation rules, approved in 2023.
The new rules would require companies to upload geolocation data to an online platform to prove their products did not contribute to forest clearing. The regulation covers cocoa, coffee, palm oil, livestock, timber, and rubber sold on the EU market.
Last week, the Commission unveiled plans to simplify reporting requirements by reducing the amount of data companies must upload to the IT system. The changes include a de facto exemption for small farmers and foresters who need only provide the postal code of their land. The Commission will also require only importers to submit a due diligence statement, thereby excluding downstream operators from that obligation.
However, as part of the same proposal, the Commission proposed only to delay enforcement for small companies and suspend non-compliance penalties for all operators for six months.
Member states remain unconvinced. During a meeting on Wednesday, most EU ambassadors said the rules should not take effect on 30 December 2025, as initially planned, and that any delay should cover all affected operators.
Now, opinions diverge on how to proceed. Some countries have pushed for longer delays and further simplification, while others proposed a “stop-the-clock” measure to buy more time for additional tweaks to the rules, one diplomat said.
Earlier this week, the agriculture ministers of Czechia, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland spearheaded the opposition against the Commission’s proposal, calling for a delay in its implementation and for classifying certain countries as posing “no risk” of deforestation.
Czech minister slams Commission’s ‘chaotic steps’ in deforestation rules overhaul
The European Commission’s bid to simplify the EU’s deforestation rules is turning out to be…
3 minutes
The Council’s position will also need to align with the European Parliament’s, a diplomatic source noted, as there’s little time left for negotiations. The Danish Presidency will propose a more concrete compromise next week.
The two sides must reach a final deal before the Parliament’s last plenary session of the year on 15 December.
(adm, cm)
