The EU Deforestation Regulation will apply to large and medium-sized companies from 30 December 2026, which leaves importers and traders about ten weeks to finish their preparations. The date follows a second postponement under Regulation (EU) 2025/2650, and the Commission has signalled that it wants targeted tweaks rather than another delay. Micro and small enterprises get more time, with their obligations starting on 30 June 2027.
The Commission spent the summer trimming the rules around the edges instead of reopening the law. On 13 July 2026 it adopted two legal acts that complete a simplification package for the EU Deforestation Regulation presented this spring. Parliament had asked for a simplification review by 30 April, and the Commission answered with revised guidance, updated FAQs and amended annexes rather than a new legislative proposal. Brussels chose adjustment over reopening the text, so the core obligations stay in place.
The first act changes the product scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation in Annex I. Cowhides and leather, retreaded tyres, soya beans for sowing, certain vulcanised rubber products, conveyor and drive belts, and motor vehicle and aircraft seats leave the scope. Soluble coffee, certain palm oil derivatives and frozen beef tongues enter it, with a transition period until 30 December 2027. The exclusion of bovine hides and leather may come back for discussion in the 2030 general review.
The second act is Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1565, which rebuilds the information system. It reflects the end-2025 amendments that exempt downstream operators and traders from filing due diligence statements. Micro and small primary producers get simplified declarations, and companies can bundle declarations into a single summary declaration. Authorities gain automatic risk profiling and can reject declarations they consider high risk.
Businesses should not mistake the simplification of the EU Deforestation Regulation for relief on substance. Commentary on the package stresses that the clarifications do not reduce evidence or documentation obligations. Operators must still collect adequately conclusive and verifiable information showing that products respect the legislation of the country of production, and they must assess and mitigate risk where needed. Customs brokers and retailers further down the chain will lean on their suppliers to deliver that evidence.
Legal advisers note that compliance may require annual audits of producers and wider reliance on certification schemes. Traceability to the plot of land, and separation of compliant from non-compliant goods, remain central. Companies that still treat the EU Deforestation Regulation as a paperwork exercise risk discovering the cost of verification only in December.
The information system itself has seen disruption. Access was restricted from 16 February 2026 until at least mid-April while the platform was updated, and training sessions for businesses began in late July to prepare users for launch. Operators who have not yet tested their declarations should treat those sessions as a warning to start early. The system will carry every declaration, so a slow start leaves little room for error in the final weeks.
The countdown now shifts to enforcement. National authorities will carry out checks, and legal commentary expects strict enforcement once the rules apply. Traders that map suppliers, secure geolocation data and test the system early will enter 2027 with fewer surprises. For everyone else, the EU Deforestation Regulation arrives on 30 December whether the paperwork is ready or not.
