Deforestation Regulation: provisions relating to the date of application

PURPOSE: to extend by one year the date of application of certain provisions of the deforestation regulation.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2024/3234 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards provisions relating to the date of application.

CONTENT: the deforestation regulation has already been in force since 29 June 2023 and its provisions are to be applied from 30 December 2024. This regulation aims to postpone by one year the date of application of the Regulation to prevent deforestation (30 December 2025).

The aim is to ensure legal certainty, predictability and sufficient time for the smooth and effective implementation of the rules. This postponement will thus allow third countries, Member States, operators and traders to be fully prepared in terms of their due diligence obligations, in order to ensure that certain commodities and products sold in the EU or exported from the EU are deforestation-free.

Under the amending regulation, large operators and traders will now have to comply with the obligations of the deforestation regulation from 30 December 2025, and micro and small enterprises from 30 June 2026.

To provide operators and traders with the information on assignment of risk to relevant countries of production well in advance of the date from which their due diligence obligations apply, the date by which the Commission is to classify countries, or parts thereof, that present a low or high risk will be postponed by only 6 months (until 30 June 2025).

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 26.12.2024.