EUDR Simplification Review — Commission Package of 4 May 2026

EUDR Simplification Review — 4 May 2026

On 4 May 2026, the European Commission formally published its simplification review of the EU Deforestation Regulation (press release IP/26/941). The package delivers on the Commission's commitment to the European Parliament and the Council, made in the December 2025 targeted revision, to carry out a simplification review and prepare for the entry into application of the regulation by the end of 2026.

The Commission frames the package as a way "to provide additional clarity to economic operators, Member States, third countries, and other stakeholders, while guaranteeing legal stability and predictability." The Commissioner responsible is Jessika Roswall (Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy).

The Four Instruments in the Package

1. Report to the European Parliament and Council — describes simplification measures already implemented since EUDR entered into force in June 2023 and those introduced today. It also presents planned trade facilitation tools, including repositories of producing-country legislation and certification schemes.
2. Updated guidance document — clarifications on downstream obligations, the very simplified regime for micro and small primary operators, e-commerce treatment, and geolocation modalities. Discussed extensively with Member States for harmonised enforcement.
3. Updated Frequently Asked Questions — addressing the topics most frequently raised by stakeholders, with new EUDR supply chain infographics illustrating practical scenarios.
4. Draft delegated act on product scope — incorporates targeted amendments to Annex I. Open for public feedback until 1 June 2026.

In parallel, the Commission is updating the implementing act on the Information System, which will now be submitted to Member States before adoption.

The 75% Cost-Reduction Claim

The headline figure from today's report: simplification measures, taken together, are expected to reduce annual compliance costs for companies subject to EUDR obligations by about 75% compared to the original EUDR. This includes the December 2025 revision (downstream simplified due diligence, low-risk regime, micro/small primary regime) plus today's clarifications, the updated IS, and the planned country-legislation repositories and recognition of certification schemes for risk assessment.

Product Scope — What Is Being Added, Removed and Exempted

The draft delegated act updates last year's draft and incorporates feedback from the consultation phase. Key changes:

• Additions to scope: certain downstream products including soluble coffee and certain palm oil derivatives.
• Exclusions from scope: leather and retreaded tyres.
• Exemptions: product samples, certain packing materials, used and second-hand products, and waste.

Operators should re-check their HS code list against the published draft and decide whether to file feedback before the 1 June 2026 deadline.

Information System — What Is Being Updated

The updated draft implementing act on the EUDR Information System adds:

• A simplified declaration form for micro and small primary operators, aligned with the existing due diligence statement format.
• Updated specifications for the automated application interfaces (machine-to-machine integration).
• A contingency plan for unplanned unavailability of the system.
• A voluntary grouping feature, introduced in response to requests from the business sector.

The Commission is also working with Member States to feed information from national databases directly into the Information System, further reducing burden on micro and small primary operators.

Deadlines Remain Unchanged

The package does not move the application dates. The Regulation will apply from:

• 30 December 2026 — for large and medium companies, and for micro and small enterprises in the timber sector.
• 30 June 2027 — for other micro and small enterprises (non-timber).

See the full deadline tracker for the full timeline.

What Operators Should Do Now

• Review the draft delegated act and check whether your products are added, excluded or exempted.
• If the proposed scope changes affect you, file feedback through the Commission's "Have Your Say" portal before 1 June 2026.
• Read the updated guidance document and FAQs — particularly the sections on downstream obligations and on micro/small primary operators.
• Engineering teams integrating with the IT system should track the implementing act for the new simplified declaration form, API spec changes and the voluntary grouping feature.
• For practical compliance steps, see the operator checklist on eudr.solutions. For the legal walkthrough, see the analysis on eudr.live.

Background

The EUDR aims to ensure that key goods placed on the EU market do not contribute to deforestation and forest degradation. It covers seven commodities — cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber — and some derived products. In December 2025, the European Parliament and Council adopted the revised text, providing legal stability for implementation. Today's package operates entirely below the level of the regulation: through delegated and implementing acts, guidance and FAQs.

For the December 2025 amending regulation, see the amendments page. For an article-by-article legal analysis, see eudr.live.