European Commission Proposes One-Year Delay to EUDR – Woodland Group Continues to Support Businesses in Preparing

The European Commission has confirmed its proposal to delay the enforcement of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by one year, following challenges in finalising the IT systems required to manage compliance reporting.

The EUDR, which came into effect in June 2023, is designed to ensure that products entering or leaving the EU are not linked to deforestation and are legally sourced.

Understanding the EUDR

EUDR applies to seven major commodities – cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soya and wood – and the many products derived from them, such as leather, chocolate, furniture, paper, and processed foods. Businesses will be required to demonstrate that these goods are:

• Deforestation-free (produced on land not deforested after 31 December 2020).
• Legally compliant with production country laws on land use, environment, and labour.
• Backed by a Due Diligence Statement submitted through the EU’s system, confirming negligible risk of non-compliance.

Failure to comply carries significant consequences, including fines of up to 4% of turnover, seizure of goods, and restricted access to the EU market.

While the additional year provides welcome breathing space for many, businesses must still prepare. Large and medium-sized enterprises are currently expected to comply by December 2025, and small and micro enterprises by June 2026.

Implications for Exporters

For many businesses, the delay does not change the core obligations: supply chains will need to be transparent, data-driven, and verifiable. The extended timeline offers more time to build the processes, partnerships and digital connectivity required to demonstrate compliance.

Woodland Group’s Role in Supporting Businesses

At Woodland Group, we are already supporting businesses across Asia, North America and the UK with their preparations. While operators themselves remain responsible for mapping and tracing the origins of their goods, Woodland Group ensures that when it comes to moving those goods into Europe, their business remains compliant and reporting processes are handled with expertise and care.

Our European compliance specialists provide local knowledge with global reach, helping exporters navigate requirements confidently. Through our digital platforms, we integrate with partners to provide end-to-end visibility of supply chains, enabling accurate documentation, seamless customs clearance and connected reporting. Combined with our longstanding sustainability expertise, this positions our customers to meet both their regulatory and environmental goals.

Preparing Today for Tomorrow’s Obligations

The delay should not be seen as an opportunity to pause, but as a chance to prepare more thoroughly. Businesses that use this time to strengthen compliance and connectivity will enter the new regulatory era with greater resilience and market access security.

Woodland Group remains committed to supporting our customers through this transition, combining compliance expertise, digital integration and sustainability focus to keep goods moving. We invite businesses – whether existing partners or new to Woodland Group – to reach out to our team to discuss how we can support your EUDR readiness.

If you have any questions about this or indeed any other services we offer, please reach out to us here.