The report to the European Parliament and Council describes the simplification measures that have been implemented since the entry into force of the EUDR in June 2023, setting out a package designed to cut compliance costs, clarify obligations, and ease pressure on smaller operators before the law takes effect on 30 December 2026 for large and medium companies and 30 June 2027 for most micro and small enterprises.
What Changed
The Commission’s package includes updated guidance, revised FAQs, a draft delegated act on product scope, improvements to the EUDR Information System and planned trade-facilitation tools. Brussels says the combined measures should reduce annual compliance costs by around 75%, from an estimated €8.1bn to €2.0bn.
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The most important simplification is the shift of responsibility for due diligence to the first operator placing covered products on the EU market or exporting them. Downstream operators and traders will mainly collect and retain reference information rather than submit their own due diligence statements.
For micro and small primary operators in low-risk countries, the package introduces a lighter regime: a one-off simplified declaration instead of repeated due diligence statements. The Information System will also be adjusted with simplified forms, API upgrades, contingency planning and voluntary grouping of due diligence reference numbers.