European forest owners have always fully supported the objectives of the Regulation to fight against global deforestation (EUDR) and consider important to have a regulation that is practical and implementable. Therefore, the adoption of the proposal for an amending Regulation is essential to give additional time to prepare the implementation and to establish a secure, effective and predictable framework.
Since the EUDR proposal in 2021, European forest owners have continuously voiced concerns about the feasibility of its implementation and underlined the substantial administrative demands that it would impose. Such barriers on those who are not drivers of deforestation were never an intention of the Regulation, but became one of its potential concrete shortcomings, including the access to the market for small forest owners. Therefore, throughout the legislative process, CEPF called on the Commission, Parliament, and Council to acknowledge and to address these challenges.
Unfortunately, some of the specific challenges faced by European forest owners are still missing practical solutions. We appreciate that some members of the European Parliament have highlighted that there is a need to improve the Regulation.
Practical solutions are needed to ensure an effective and targeted implementation of the Regulation that makes an effective contribution to its overall goal. We trust that the EU Institutions will make the right decisions to provide additional time and to create conditions that support a practical and streamlined enforcement of the Regulation, especially for those who have been practicing sustainable forest management for generations.
