On Tuesday evening, negotiators from the Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement to postpone the application of the new rules. Large operators and traders will now have to respect the obligations stemming from this regulation as of 30 December 2025, and micro- and small enterprises from 30 June 2026. This additional time is intended to help companies around the world implement the rules smoothly from the start, without undermining the objectives of the law.

The Commission proposed postponing the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year in response to concerns raised by EU member states, non-EU countries, traders and operators that they would not be able to fully comply with the rules if applied as of the end of 2024.

Following amendments from Parliament to create a new category of countries posing “no risk” on deforestation, the Commission promised a future assessment of simplified requirements for countries that have demonstrated…