"EU: Protect Integrity of Anti-Deforestation Law," 7 May 2026

The European Commission’s announcement that it would not initiate a process to further amend the text of its milestone anti-deforestation regulation paves the way for it to be implemented by the end of 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. However, at the same time, the Commission has proposed to exclude leather from the list of products covered by the regulation, which would create a major loophole...

In May 2023, the EU adopted the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), which requires EU-based companies to ensure that their imports and exports are deforestation-free and are not tainted by being linked to human rights abuses. The regulation applies to seven commodities—wood, palm oil, soy, coffee, cocoa, rubber, and cattle—and many products derived from these commodities, such as leather in the case of cattle. To trim obligations for businesses, EU institutions have twice delayed the date by which companies have to start complying and amended the text. The deadline for compliance is now December...

Some member states’ representatives, including from Austria, Germany, and Italy, had sought an amendment to the regulation to exclude jurisdictions with low deforestation rates. However, on May 4, the European Commission said it would not reopen the core text of the regulation for additional amendments. This is a positive development, and the European Council and Parliament should also commit to preserving the integrity of this milestone legislation and work promptly towards its robust implementation, Human Rights Watch said...