EU deforestation regulation postponed, but UK government still has work to do

The European Commission’s decision to postpone the implementation of the new EU deforestation regulation (EUDR) has averted an almost certain supply chain crisis because so many countries, including EU member states, simply weren’t ready. This was in part due to the EU’s delay in publishing clear guidance on how it will work.

In their press release, the European Commission makes it clear that the delay “in no way puts into question the objectives or the substance of the law, as agreed by the EU co-legislators.” In other words, it WILL happen. So the UK government mustn’t treat this delay as an excuse to do nothing over the next fifteen months. Rather, it has afforded us a window of opportunity to properly prepare for the new regulation, something they have failed to do up to now.

According to the EUDR, each country must nominate a government department to implement and oversee the new reporting requirements. Industry and individual companies can’t deal directly with the EC to do this.

While the new regulation will now come into force for large companies on 30 December next year, the first deadline is 30 June 2025 which is when the country benchmarking system will be finalised through an Implementing Act.

Working together with input from our members, BMPA, NFU and AHDB have already developed a practical, ready-made solution for demonstrating compliance that utilises existing traceability systems and will require very little change to what producers are already doing. We are now reviewing the EU’s guidance document that was published yesterday (2 October) to ensure our solution matches any new requirements. Once that review is complete, we will present it to government.

Nick Allen, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association commented: “We have been working on a pragmatic solution to satisfy the requirements of the new EUDR and stand ready to work collaboratively with government to ensure it works for both British companies and the European Commission.

“What we need from government is an acknowledgement that it is they, and they alone that can nominate a responsible government department and adopt a system for complying with the EUDR requirements. We need them to play their part and ensure everything is in place by next year’s deadline to ensure beef exports to our biggest market are not disrupted.”