European Commission proposes postponing EUDR for one year

Finally some good news. The European Commission has proposed a one-year postponement of the Anti-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The request, reads the official statement, is not intended to call into question the objectives of the EUDR, but to allow global operators to adhere to the regulation without operational problems. The Commission took note of the fact that the application of the regulation was practically unfeasible, mainly due to delays in the implementation of the European IT system needed to upload the due diligence required of companies, causing very serious problems for international trade in all sectors involved.
The last word now rests with the European Parliament and the European Council, which will presumably accept the proposed postponement, moving the regulation’s entry into force to 30 December 2025 for large companies and 30 June 2026 for SMEs.
The difficulties of applying the EUDR in the tanning sector were discussed on 18 September at the last Lineapelle during a crowded conference. On that occasion, a study commissioned by UNIC and COTANCE to the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of the University of Pisa was presented, which proves with scientific evidence that leather has nothing to do with deforestation. Leather comes from cattle raised mainly for meat and milk and its production does not encourage cattle breeding.
Now the sector has twelve more months to make its case.