The Indonesian Civil Society Coalition, comprising 45 organisations including NGOs, farmers’ and plantation workers’ unions, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, local communities, as well as representatives of women and youth, has launched a Joint Position Paper on the European Union’s Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) benchmarking.

The EUDR is a significant initiative by consumer countries aimed at curbing global deforestation and promoting the sustainable production of commodities. The commodities covered by this regulation include timber, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, soy, rubber, beef, and some of their derivatives. The regulation requires products entering or leaving the European Union to be: 1) deforestation-free after 31 December 2020; 2) produced in accordance with the producing country’s legislation; and 3) accompanied by due diligence statements.

Currently, the European Union legislatives are negotiating a 12-month delay in the full implementation of the EUDR. The implementation, originally planned for 30 December 2024, will be delayed to 30 December 2025 for large companies and to 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises. Indonesia, which is affected by the EUDR through five commodities—timber, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and rubber—has begun taking preparatory steps to meet EUDR requirements….see attached document