The EU Commission has released additional guidance documents today, Wednesday, October 2, aimed at bolstering support for the implementation of the new EU deforestation law. This regulation mandates that companies can only market products in the EU if the supplier furnishes a “due diligence” statement affirming that the product does not originate from deforested land or contribute to forest degradation post-December 31, 2020. The primary goal of this legislation is to diminish the EU’s role in global deforestation and forest degradation, thereby reducing the union’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions and global biodiversity loss.
Replacing the EU Timber Regulations, this new law is slated to come into effect by the year’s end. In response to appeals from international partners, the EU Commission has suggested an additional 12-month transition period to phase in the regulation. Pending approval by the European Parliament and the council, the law would become effective on December 30, 2025, for large corporations and June 30, 2026, for micro and small enterprises. The EU Commission has assured that all necessary implementation tools are technically prepared, with the extra year serving as a gradual introduction to ensure effective application. Acknowledging concerns raised by global partners, particularly at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the commission highlighted the uneven state of readiness among stakeholders in Europe.
The guidance documents are structured into 11 chapters, addressing a wide array of topics including legality requirements, application timelines, agricultural utilization, and product scope clarifications, all illustrated with practical scenarios. Furthermore, the most recent FAQ section, released by the EU Commission today, offers over 40 new answers to address queries from a diverse range of stakeholders worldwide. Following a pilot testing phase involving 100 companies in January, the Commission has implemented several additional measures, such as establishing a single point of contact for IT support for stakeholders, developing an interface for machine-to-machine connections to the system, and providing support for stakeholders to test geolocation files. Additionally, more than 250 private stakeholders are actively involved in developing this feature on their end, alongside the provision of videos and detailed multilingual user instructions about the system and training opportunities for interested parties.
The information system where businesses will record their due diligence statements is set to commence accepting registrations in early November, with full operation expected in December. Operators and traders will have the capacity to register and submit due diligence statements even before the law officially takes effect.
