The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products entered into force on 29 June 2023 as a part of the European Green Deal, with the goal of reducing degradation of forests across the world. As it is a part of the European Green Deal, it is a part of a wider effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the loss of biodiversity.
In order to ensure that the transition to deforestation-free products is successfully completed, on 15 April 2025, the EU Commission introduced a set of simplification documents aimed at catering the existing provisions to companies in order to make compliance with them easier.
The updated Guidance Document and FAQs simplify measures that need to be undertaken in order to confirm that products are deforestation-free, particularly regarding due diligence and traceability requirements, as well as the applicability of the Regulation to composite products.
The aforementioned documents are to be complemented by a Delegated act for public consultation, open until 13 May 2025, which is aimed at potentially revising Annex I of the Regulation.
Finally, the country benchmarking system, which will categorise countries based on their deforestation risk, will be finalised by 30 June 2025. This system will significantly impact the level of due diligence required from operators sourcing products from different regions.
Prepared by,
Daniel Vujacic, LL.M. (UW)