EUDR: EU Parliament decides to postpone application

On 26 November 2025, the European Parliament decided to postpone the start of the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by one year to 30 December 2026. The European Parliament thus followed an almost identical agreement reached by the Council of the European Union on 19 November 2025. At the same time, it should be emphasised that the postponement of the launch of the EUDR's application by one year has not yet been decided by the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The approval of the European Commission is still missing.

The three bodies of the EU – Parliament, Council and Commission – must agree on a unified position by Christmas in so-called trilogue negotiations. If no agreement is reached, the application of the EUDR would start on 30 December 2025. However, this has become very unlikely with the decision of the EU Parliament. It is not to be assumed that the EU Commission will stick to its rejection of the postponement of the start of the application of the EUDR against the now officially declared will of the EU Parliament and the EU Council.

Background information:
On 23 September 2025, the responsible EU Commissioner Roswall proposed a postponement of the start of the application of the EUDR by one year, citing IT problems. In contradiction to this, however, the EU Commission rejected a postponement on 21 October 2025 and instead proposed numerous simplifications.

EPAL welcomed these simplifications because they would be advantageous for many EPAL licensees without jeopardising the objectives of the EUDR. However, due to the contradictory communication of the EU Commission, EPAL has recommended another postponement so that EPAL licensees and all other affected companies have sufficient time to prepare for the changes. In particular, postponing the application of the EUDR would also make it possible to solve the practical problems associated with the changes proposed by the EU Commission.

In accordance with this position of EPAL, the EU Parliament not only decided on 26 November 2025 to postpone the launch of the EUDR again, but also called on the EU Commission to review and supplement or correct the proposed measures to simplify the EUDR by 30 April 2026.

EPAL supports such a practice-oriented amendment of the EUDR, as the due diligence obligations currently regulated in the EUDR, which apply to manufacturers and repairers of EPAL pallets, are not necessary to achieve the correct goals of the EUDR, the prevention of deforestation and the preservation of healthy forests. The EUDR must not create any new bureaucratic obligations and associated costs for EPAL licensees if these obligations are not absolutely and directly necessary to avoid deforestation and forest degradation.