On 18 December, the European Council formally adopted a targeted revision of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR).
To reduce administrative burden, certain printed products (such as books, newspapers, magazine, printed pictures) were removed from the scope of the regulation, reflecting the limited deforestation risk associated with these items. The revision streamlines the due diligence requirements and postpones the application of the regulation for all operators until 30 December 2026, with an extra six-month cushion for micro and small operators.
This means that publishers and their partners can pause efforts to achieve compliance with EUDR while the exemption of printed products is formally adopted, which should go ahead at the end of 2026.
The revised regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and enter into force three days after publication. It is stressed that the revisions will not legally take effect until they are published in the Official Journal.
Overall, this is good news for the publishing sector. It appears that there will no longer be any obligations under EUDR for publishers and our value chain partners. The PPA will monitor the situation and provide updates should any changes occur.
For more information, see the official press release here, or contact charlotte.jeffreys@ppa.co.uk.