Following a meeting with US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder on Monday, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall emphasized that the primary goal is to guarantee the bloc’s anti-deforestation regulations effectively address the global deforestation issue, while maintaining support for enforcement and delivering additional clarification.
Two US lawmakers have called on the European Commission to resist growing pressure aimed at weakening the European Union’s anti-deforestation legislation, just days ahead of the EU executive’s scheduled review that may redefine the products subject to the law.
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Democratic Representatives Lloyd Doggett and Rashida Tlaib have urged the Commission to preserve both the content and the timeline of the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), mandating that suppliers of palm oil, timber, leather, coffee, beef, and other commodities prove their production methods have not contributed to deforestation.
Non-compliance would result in producers being barred from accessing EU markets with their goods.
Initially planned to take effect on 30 December 2024, the bloc’s anti-deforestation legislation has experienced two delays.
The first postponement occurred in October 2024, following pressure from industry stakeholders, political factions, and exporting nations citing insufficient guidance from the EU executive to assist companies through the adjustment period.
The second deferment, scheduled for September 2025, was attributed to an IT issue by the Commission.
Deforestation and its impact on climate change
The US lawmakers presented their appeal as a measure of the global determination to combat climate change, highlighting that deforestation represents a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions and continues on a massive scale annually. They warned that weakening the regulation would send an adverse message at a crucial juncture.
«With more than 10 million hectares—equivalent to Portugal—deforested each year and contributing up to 21% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, the EUDR is essential to fight the urgent climate crisis,» states the letter dated 24 April.
The appeal from US lawmakers comes amid initiatives by the Trump administration to establish a controversial “no risk” category for specific countries—a move critics argue would exempt certain exporters from stringent traceability standards.
“If the EU adopts this classification and considers the US eligible, American companies would function in a regulatory vacuum, lacking transparency and oversight,” the letter warns, emphasizing that such an approach would generate “major loopholes,” weaken enforcement efforts, and enable deforestation-related products to evade scrutiny.
While advocating for increased flexibility from the EU, the US government has also expanded domestic timber production and relaxed certain forest protections. Lawmakers contend that these actions undermine the legitimacy of US requests for preferential treatment under the EU framework.
At the same time, enterprises—including many US-based—have invested substantially in supply chain transparency and compliance systems ahead of the regulation’s enforcement. They argue that further postponements or exemptions would punish proactive participants and favor less compliant parties.
The letter warns that following two previous delays, any more deferrals would extend uncertainty and could result in millions of additional tonnes of carbon emissions.
Dialogue between EU and US on anti-deforestation measures
Following a discussion with US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder on Monday, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall highlighted that the main concern is to ensure the EU’s anti-deforestation regulations effectively tackle the global deforestation challenge, while continuing to facilitate implementation and offer clarity.
“The Commission focuses on making sure the EUDR tackles the worldwide deforestation issue and is practical, without imposing unnecessary obligations on companies and trade partners,” Roswall stated to the press.
The Swedish Commissioner further noted that a “simplification review” is anticipated shortly, designed to apply the bloc’s anti-deforestation legislation in the most streamlined way possible.
“The package incorporates simplifications agreed and adopted by co-legislators at the end of December to amend the EUDR, granting all affected businesses—including those in the US—additional time to meet compliance requirements,” Roswall added.
Andrew Puzder argued that US producers do not drive deforestation and should not be subject to costly geolocation mandates that raise expenses without yielding environmental gains.
“We are optimistic that the EU will address the substantial and valid concerns of US producers and exporters,” Puzder posted on X.
Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaia Itkonen informed reporters on Monday that, while the Commission will not reopen the anti-deforestation law, adjustments to its scope and IT infrastructure will be incorporated into the existing legislation.