May 4, 2026 – the Commission published a report on the simplification of the revised EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and a set of further measures for a smooth and effective implementation following the agreement of co-legislators last December. These measures will provide additional clarity to economic operators, Member States, third countries, and other stakeholders, while guaranteeing legal stability and predictability. With today’s package, the Commission delivers on its commitment to the European Parliament and the Council to carry out a simplification review of the revised Regulation and prepares for the entry into application of the regulation by end of this year.
The measures include a report to the European Parliament and the Council, an updated guidance document and Frequently Asked Questions, and a draft delegated act on the product scope of the EUDR. In addition, the Commission is presenting an updated implementing act on the Information System to Member States.
The Report includes a number of new simplification measures:
First, the Commission has updated the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions to address key stakeholder concerns. In particular, these documents clarify the possibility to cover multiple shipments under a single due diligence statement and explain, for instance, how forest associations can submit information on behalf of individual forest owners. The Commission also provides further practical guidance on the obligations of downstream operators, including the identification of their position in supply chains and the possibility of a company to be both importer and producer. It also confirms that their role is limited to passive collection and retention of relevant information. Explanations are provided on issues such as e-commerce, geolocation alternatives and on the determination of size thresholds for micro and small primary operators. In addition, the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions documents clarify that information collection related to legality should be proportionate to the level of risk, with more detailed evidence required only in higher-risk supply chains. Moreover, user-friendly practical examples illustrating the various supply chain scenarios are provided in the updated EUDR Supply Chain Infographics. The Commission will continue to update the Guidance and the Frequently Asked Questions as necessary, considering stakeholder feedback.
Second, the product scope has been refined in the draft Delegated Act ( 2 ) published for public feedback to ensure a more coherent application of the Regulation, including proposed additions of selected downstream products, such as soluble coffee and certain palm oil derivatives (including soap made with palm oil) as well as some proposed exclusions of the scope, such as leather, samples and retreaded tyres.
Third, the Report also outlines further developments of the Information System. These include the updates required by the revised EUDR text, such as the inclusion of simplified declarations, as well as additional functionalities requested by stakeholders, including the voluntary grouping of Due Diligence Statements reference numbers. Overall, these improvements will ensure that the system is robust and ready to support the smooth application of the Regulation from the date it enters into application.
Fourth, the Report presents the planned establishment of new trade facilitation tools, such as repositories of legislation of countries producing relevant EUDR products and certification or other third-party verified schemes applicable to commodities covered by the EUDR, with a view to facilitating compliance and legality assessments. The quantitative assessment indicates that, taken together, the outlined simplification measures are expected to reduce annual compliance costs for companies subject to EUDR obligations by about 75% compared to the initial compliance costs.
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Simplification review on the Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation (EUDR): https://environment.ec.europa.eu/document/download/a3c5c3a0-232e-43c4-b0b8-1eecb1df45c7_en?filename=Report%20from%20the%20Commission%20to%20the%20Council%20and%20Parliament%20on%20the%20EUDR.pdf
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