‘Coalition of the willing’ surges as EUDR postponement brews
15 octobre 2025
In April 2023, the European Union moved boldly to end EU complicity in global deforestation linked to our consumption, by passing the ground-breaking EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) with an overwhelming majority. Since then, the EUDR’s journey has suffered from political bullying, culminating in news that yet another delay to the EUDR’s application is brewing.
The first delay came in autumn 2024 (FW 300), when the European Commission was trying to calm a backlash against the EUDR while standing firm on the law’s substance (FW 302).
But attacks have continued, mainly from a handful of well-connected private forest lobbyists. Having failed to scrap the law altogether, opponents’ focus shifted to dismantling EUDR obligations piecemeal, such as by introducing a likely unlawful ‘zero-risk’ category which would allow countries with major forest issues to avoid having to undertake efforts to reduce deforestation and degradation.
Now, on 23 September, the Commission announced it was considering a second postponement of EUDR application – apparently due to an IT issue. Outrage was immediate and has since grown, galvanising a surging Coalition of the Willing – including Commission heavyweights such as Vice President Teresa Ribera; a growing cross-sectoral group of companies that include commodity giants such as Nestle, Mars, Socfin and Olam; a cross-party coalition of centre, green and democrat MEPs; European NGOs, and Indonesian and Brazilian civil society. Even US NGOs have chimed in, concerned that the European President would capitulate to the Trump administration and leave US forests open to further destruction.
Companies, in particular, have weighed in with suggestions for how to solve the IT issues (read them here).
The European public (87% in 2019; 84% in 2024), also, have shown that forest protection is a unifying issue that withstands the passage of time and noisy false narratives; more than 1.1 million citizens had previously signed petitions backing the EUDR and urging the EU to stay strong. The Commission has a vast public mandate to act.
It is now up to the Commission to put the work in and get this done. They have the backing!
Catégories: European forests, EU Regulation on deforestation-free products, Forest risk commodities
