The European Union (EU) has set December 2025 as the date for the implementation of its policy prohibiting products from deforested land. On December 18, 2024, the Council of the EU formally approved a 12-month extension of the European anti-deforestation regulation.
This extension aims to allow businesses to comply with legislation banning the sale of products sourced from deforested areas within the EU. The Council stated that the delay will enable third countries, member states, operators, and traders to fully prepare for their due diligence obligations, ensuring that certain products and raw materials sold or exported from the EU do not contribute to deforestation.
Included in the ban are products derived from cattle, timber, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and some of their derivatives. Following the approval of this legislative step, the amendment to the deforestation regulation will be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU, allowing it to take effect by the end of the year.
The deforestation regulation initially came into force on June 29, 2023, with provisions set to apply starting December 30, 2024. However, with this specific amendment, the rules will now be effective for large operators and traders from December 30, 2025, and for micro and small enterprises six months later, on June 30, 2026.
This adjustment aims to provide legal certainty, predictability, and sufficient time for the smooth and effective implementation of the regulations. The deforestation law is designed to combat climate change and biodiversity loss by preventing deforestation in member countries.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an estimated 420 million hectares of forest were lost between 1990 and 2020, an area larger than the EU, due to deforestation.