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Subsequently, the EC came up with its alternative Traces system, will have to change them again.
proposal on 21 October. This is for the EUDR implementation On the different EUDR implementation dates for businesses
date of 30 December 2025 to stand for large and medium dependent on their size, the statement says this ‘fails to
companies. However, under the proposal they would have a reflect the operational reality of the market, where medium-

six-month transition period before checks start. Small and sized and large companies routinely interact with small and
micro businesses would have until 30 December 2026 before micro-enterprises within integrated supply chains’.
the EUDR implementation. “As a result, establishing different application dates, with
On 4 November, coordinators of the EU Committee on large and medium enterprises required to comply from 30
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) decided December 2025, and small and micro-enterprises benefiting
to request the use of the urgency procedure regarding the EC from twelve additional months, will, in practice, force all
proposal so a parliamentary vote can take place on it quickly. operators to comply from the same date,” it states.
According to an EU Parliament spokesperson, MEPs will “The interdependence of companies within the value
consequently vote on the use of the urgency procedure in chain makes the proposed postponement illusory, as smaller

this case at the 12-13 November plenary, then vote on the operators will be required to align immediately to maintain
proposal itself at the following session later in the month. business relations.”
But the ’stop the clock’ statement from industry bodies, The statement urges policy makers to reassess the EUDR
coordinated by the European woodworking industries confederation to ‘identify genuine simplification measures and to render
CEI-Bois, says this does not give businesses sufficient time to obligations truly workable’.
absorb the proposed changes to the EUDR. It also highlights One thing it does not mention is a preferred alternative
problems with the different implementation dates for businesses date for EUDR implementation.

according to size. However, some EU politicians also backing the ‘stop
The statement signatories cover the range of FERCs the clock’ lobby are calling for the EC to revert to its 23
sectors affected by the EUDR, from wood and furniture, to September proposal to push the regulation’s introduction
tanning, animal feed producers, the meat trade and chemicals back a further 12 months.
businesses. According to EU news platform Euractiv, a note to this
The statement says: “The new proposal and the very effect has been submitted by Austrian politicians. They are
challenging timeline to have it approved risks undermining both also backing calls to add a ‘zero risk’ category into the
the credibility and the practical enforcement of the Regulation, deforestation risk classification of supplier countries which
while placing European operators in an untenable position of currently rates them high, medium and low.

legal and operational uncertainty.” “Sustainable forest management is part of Austria’s DNA,”
It adds that the EUDR changes proposed by the EC are Austrian Agriculture and Environment Minister Norbert Totschnig
‘substantial’ and require time for stakeholders, policy makers told Euractiv. “However, in its current form, the EUDR risks
and EU member states to analyse and discuss. penalising those who are already practising sustainable forest
“This is exceptionally difficult considering the deadline of 30 management.”
December 2025 currently in place [for EUDR implementation],” At the latest meeting of the EU Environment Council,
says the statement. 15 countries, including Italy and Poland, backed the

It raises the issue that large downstream industries, which Austrian call. FDM
have adapted their IT systems to interface with the EUDR ENQUIRY NO. 5001