225 civil society organisations from over 40 countries have issued a joint statement, calling on all national EU governments and the European Parliament to reject the Commission’s proposal delaying the EUDR.


The EUDR is a flagship achievement of the European Green Deal. It is a world-first in the fight against deforestation, forest degradation and associated human rights impacts, which are driven by European production and consumption of products like beef, leather, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, timber, rubber, and soy.


The EUDR was adopted democratically, with a record level of public engagement and support. Nearly 1.2 million people in Europe told the European Commission directly that they don’t want to continue to be complicit with global deforestation and called for immediate action.


The world’s forests urgently need the protection that the EUDR offers. Following years of failures by the private sector to voluntarily address environmental and human rights impacts in their supply chains, the EUDR is a necessary and crucial step. By delaying its application and giving into the demands of vested interests, the European Commission is significantly undermining the EU’s credibility as a global leader in the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss and human rights violations.