Two Sides has reported that the European Council has agreed on a proposal to postpone the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 12 months.
This proposal, which needs formal approval by the EU Parliament, will delay implementation to December 2025, providing operators and traders more time to prepare for their due diligence obligations that paper-based products that are sold or exported from the EU are deforestation-free.
On 29 June 2023, the Regulation on deforestation-free products entered into force. The main driver of these processes is the expansion of agricultural land that is linked to the production of commodities like cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and some of their derived products, such as leather, chocolate, tyres, or furniture.
Under the Regulation, any operator or trader who places these commodities on the EU market, or exports from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation. EUDR only impacts virgin fibre-based commodities and products being placed on the EU market.
Printed products within scope of EUDR include:
- Printed books, brochures, leaflets, newspapers, journals and periodicals, children’s picture, drawing or colouring books, music, maps, plans, stamps, banknotes, transfers, postcards, calendars, trade advertising material, catalogues, photographs, pictures etc.
- Printed packaging – i.e. cartons, and envelopes, but NOT packaging used to “support, protect or carry another product”.
- Paper labels.
Fully recycled paper and board are excluded from EUDR. If there is a proportion of virgin fibre in the material, then it would be covered by the EUDR.
