The European Commission has announced a year-long time extension to allow industries to prepare for the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Companies in the industries affected, including the leather and hide sector, will now have an extra 12 months to complete their preparations for compliance. EUDR will now come into application for larger companies on December 30, 2025, and on June 30, 2026, for smaller companies.

This is subject to the approval of the European Parliament and the Council. The Council is part of part of the executive of the EU, usually composed of the heads of government of the 27 member states. The Commission’s aim is to secure this approval before the end of 2024.

In a statement on October 2, the European Commission said: “Given feedback received from international partners, the Commission proposes to give concerned parties additional time to prepare. The extra 12 months can serve as a phasing-in period to ensure proper and effective implementation.”

It added: “Several global partners have repeatedly expressed concerns about their state of preparedness, most recently during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York [in late September]. Moreover, the state of preparations amongst stakeholders in Europe is also uneven.”

It has prepared new guidance to provide “additional clarity” to help companies and enforcing authorities take the steps they need to take to comply with the new rules. In the case of leather, this is likely to mean submitting detailed information about the origin of hides that tanners use.

This guidance gives updates on the information system companies will be required to use, details of penalties and clarification of important definitions of important terms. There is also further guidance on traceability obligations.

There is also an updated version of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that the Commission is seeking to clarify, with 40 new questions and answers. More details are available here.

The Commission said that the proposed extension “in no way puts into question” the objectives or the substance of EUDR.