KUCHING: The implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will be delayed by one year following the publication of an amending regulation in the EU’s Official Journal on Dec 23, 2025.
Under the revised timeline, the new implementation date for medium and large operators is Dec 30, 2026, while micro and small operators will come under the rules from June 30, 2027.
The amendment also introduces a series of changes aimed at easing compliance, particularly for smaller firms. These include limiting the obligation to submit due diligence statements to operators placing products on the market for the first time, and requiring only first downstream operators to retain and pass on the reference number of the initial due diligence statement.
In addition, micro and small primary operators will be allowed to submit a one-off simplified declaration to the EUDR information system. They may also replace detailed geolocation data with the postal address of the plot of land or establishment where the goods originated. National competent authorities, meanwhile, will be required to share information on any significant technical errors or disruptions affecting the system.
The definition of micro and small primary operators has also been broadened. Companies will now be assessed based only on the parts of their balance sheet, net turnover and average employee numbers that relate to the relevant commodities and products, rather than on all business activities.
With the introduction of the amending regulation, obligations on EU businesses trading in EUDR in-scope commodities — including timber — are changing accordingly. Those affecting small and micro businesses, in particular, have been
significantly simplified, according to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Tropical Timber Market Report for Jan 1–15, 2026.
The ITTO said a key consideration behind the amendment was the administrative burden the original regulation would have imposed, especially on smaller firms. Another factor was the capacity of the EU’s “Traces” information system, which companies will use to upload compliance data.
On this point, the amended regulation noted that “most recent projections on the number of expected operations and interactions in the information system have led to a substantial reassessment of the load on the system, indicating much higher traffic than anticipated.”
The amendment also creates a new sub-category of in-scope businesses — “micro or small primary operators.” These companies, it said, would only need to submit a “one-time simplified declaration” and would then receive a “declaration identifier” to accompany relevant products placed on, or exported from, the EU market.
According to the ITTO report, European timber trade bodies have welcomed the EU’s move. In October last year, several of them joined organisations from other affected commodity sectors in signing an open statement urging policymakers to “stop the clock” on the EUDR and delay its implementation.
These bodies include the European Timber Trade Federation, CEI-Bois Confederation of European Woodworking Industries, European Organisation of Sawmill Industries, European Panel Federation and European Parquet Federation.
