The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a European Union regulation aimed at combating deforestation and forest degradation. Adopted in December 2022 and set to take effect in 2024, the regulation requires companies operating within the EU to ensure that certain products placed on the EU market or exported from the EU are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation.
The regulation applies to a list of commodities often associated with deforestation, including: cattle (beef, leather), palm oil, soy, coffee, cocoa, wood products (such as timber and paper), rubber, and derived products like furniture, chocolate, and certain food items.
The main obligations.
Due Diligence Requirement — companies must conduct strict due diligence to ensure that their supply chains are deforestation-free. This includes geolocation data, tracking the exact origins of products to the farm level to verify whether they were produced on land that was deforested after December 31, 2020.
Risk assessment and mitigation — with Identifying risks of deforestation and taking measures to mitigate them.
Transparency — where companies must provide detailed information to authorities on the due diligence process, which may be audited and subject to penalties for non-compliance.
Enforcement and Penalties — will be imposed. EU member states will be responsible for enforcing the regulation, and non-compliance could lead to significant fines and restrictions on market access for non-compliant products.
The wider context.
The EUDR is part of the EU’s broader effort to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. By targeting deforestation, it aims to reduce carbon emissions from land-use changes and promote sustainable supply chains. The EUDR replaces the earlier EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and expands its scope to cover a wider range of products and commodities associated with deforestation globally.
Reaction from Intergraf with 20+ EU associations.
By tightening controls over supply chains, particularly for products like paper, board, and printed materials, this regulation is set to impact the printing industry significantly when it comes into force on December 30, 2024. So, end of September, Intergraf, the European federation representing the printing and graphic communication industry, has raised concerns about the readiness of the printing value chain to comply with the EUDR. Specifically, the organization points out the lack of clear legal guidelines from the European Commission, which complicates efforts to meet compliance standards. To address this, Intergraf and other stakeholders have called for a postponement of the regulation’s implementation, hoping to provide more time for the industry to adapt. Joint statement signed by 22 EU federations and associations (see list below).
To get a clearer picture:
Intergraf is organizing a public webinar on October 22, 2024, to help industry stakeholders better understand the EUDR’s implications and prepare for compliance. This event will feature insights from industry leaders and offer practical advice for navigating the new regulatory landscape. Link to register: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b0085faf-d791-44b0-bc40-1baf45e7a0de@708204c3-e871-445a-995f-e231d926d5e7
22 EU federations and associations that have signed the joint statement:
ACE – The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment
CCB – Cepi ContainerBoard
CEI-Bois – European Confederation of Woodworking Industries
CEPF – Confederation of European Forest Owners
Cepi – Confederation of European Paper Industries
CITPA – International Confederation of Paper and Board Converters in Europe
COCERAL – European association of trade in cereals, oilseeds, rice, pulses, olive oil, oils and fats, animal feed and agrosupply
Copa-Cogeca – European Farmers and Agri-Cooperatives
ECMA – European Carton Makers Association
EDANA – Nonwovens Industry
EFIC – European Furniture Industries Confederation
EMMA – European Magazine Media Association
ENPA – European Newspaper Publishers’ Association
ELO – European Landowners’ Organization
EOS – European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry
EPF – European Panel Federation
ETTF – European Timber Trade Federation
ETS – European Tissue Symposium
EUSTAFOR – European State Forest Association
FEFAC – Euroepan Feed Manufacturers’ Federation
FEFCO – European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers
FEP – European Parquet Federation
FEP – Federation of European Publishers
FEFPEB – European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers
INTERGRAF – European Federation for Print and Digital Communication
NME – News Media Europe
PRO Carton – European Association of Carton and Cartonboard manufacturer
UECBV – European Livestock and Meat Trading Union