MEPs voted to simplify the EU’s deforestation law, which was adopted in 2023 to ensure products sold in the EU are not sourced from deforested land.

Parliament on Wednesday voted on targeted solutions to make it easier for companies, global stakeholders as well as both EU- and non-EU countries to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation. This follows their decision at the last plenary to fast-track a new proposal from the Commission.

One year postponement for all companies

According to Parliament’s position, companies will have an additional year to comply with new EU rules to prevent deforestation. Large operators and traders will now have to respect the obligations of this regulation as of 30 December 2026, and micro- and small enterprises from 30 June 2027. This additional time is intended to guarantee a smooth transition and to allow the implementation of measures to strengthen the IT system thatoperators, traders and their representatives use to make electronic due diligence statements.

Simplification of due diligence requirements

MEPs find that the onus on submitting a due diligence statement should fall on the businesses who first introduce the relevant product onto the EU market, and not the operators and traders that subsequently commercialise it.

The changes by MEPs will also reduce the obligations for micro and small primary operators which would now only have to submit a one-off simplified declaration.

Parliament requested a simplification review by 30 April 2026 to assess the law’s impact and administrative burden.

Next steps

The text was adopted by 402 votes to 250 and with 8 abstentions.

Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with member states on the final shape of the law, which has to be endorsed by both Parliament and the Council and published in the EU Official Journal before the end of 2025, for the one-year delay to enter into force.

Background

The regulation being simplified was adopted by Parliament on 19 April 2023. It seeks to fight climate change and biodiversity loss by preventing deforestation linked to EU consumption of cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, soya, wood, rubber, charcoal, printed paper, and cattle products.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest – an area larger than the EU – were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. EU consumption is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation. Palm oil and soya account for more than two thirds of this.