Unpacking European Union Deforestation Regulation

This briefing provides an overview of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), detailing compliance requirements for operators and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in meeting these obligations.

• The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mandates that specific products and commodities associated with deforestation must be legally produced and deforestation-free to be exported from or placed on the EU market. Compliance deadlines are set for December 2025 or June 2026, based on the size of the traders or operators, with penalties for non-compliance including market bans, product seizures, or fines.
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are significantly impacted by the EUDR, as they represent 90% of importers related to the regulation. Furthermore, in developing countries, 80% to 90% of forest-related businesses are small and locally operated, accounting for more than half of the jobs in that sector.
• The EU recognizes voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) as a tool to assist operators and SMEs in achieving compliance with EUDR requirements.

APA

Sarmiento,, F. (2025). Unpacking European Union Deforestation Regulation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/unpacking-european-union-deforestation-regulation

Chicago

Sarmiento,, Florencia. Unpacking European Union Deforestation Regulation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/unpacking-european-union-deforestation-regulation.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sarmiento, |first1=Florencia |title=Unpacking European Union Deforestation Regulation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=30 April 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/unpacking-european-union-deforestation-regulation |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sarmiento2025unpacking, author = {Sarmiento,, Florencia}, title = {{Unpacking European Union Deforestation Regulation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/unpacking-european-union-deforestation-regulation}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }