Germany has submitted proposals to the European Commission aimed at simplifying the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The goal is to make the regulation more practical and to avoid extra economic burdens, the federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection said on Monday.
“A perseverance pays off: by the end of last year we succeeded in relieving farmers and forest owners and in largely exempting large parts of the downstream supply chain from EUDR obligations” said Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU). “It is now essential to preserve these simplifications in practice and to continue developing them”.
In its original form the EUDR would have represented a significant burden for many German primary producers and companies, the ministry explained. Germany therefore pushed for simplifications that were secured through a compromise proposal. The implementation of the regulation was postponed, and EU member states requested that the Commission present further streamlining options by the end of April. While Germany supports the regulation’s aim of promoting deforestation‑free products, it stresses the need to balance global forest protection with economic competitiveness.
The BMLEH’s proposals include regional collective reporting for small primary producers, more precise evidence requirements for imports from low‑risk countries, and limiting legality proofs to those aspects directly relevant to the EUDR. They also call for a central Commission responsibility to ensure uniform implementation, relief for regulatory authorities, and a pragmatic interpretation of the simplifications.
