The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has produced a guide to inform federal states and forestry organisations about the application of the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products (EU Deforestation Regulation / EUDR). This regulation aims to ensure that no products from illegal deforestation enter the European market. The handout (in German language) provides a general overview of the EUDR regulations that are relevant to domestic timber production and marketing. It contains practical examples and concrete solutions to enable a legally compliant and practicable application of the regulation. The BMEL plans to continuously update the guide as soon as new developments become known.
At the same time, the BMEL is actively campaigning at EU level for a postponement of the start of application of the EUDR. Due to delays in Brussels, particularly with regard to the outstanding benchmarking process, which categorises countries in terms of risk, the BMEL is calling for an extension of the transition phase. These delays are making it more difficult for industry to prepare for the implementation of the regulation in a timely and appropriate manner. The BMEL expresses concern about the slow implementation at EU level and emphasises the need for a low-bureaucracy and efficient application of the EUDR. At the Agriculture Council in July, Federal Minister Özdemir once again called for the start of application to be postponed. However, a decision by the European Commission is still pending. In view of the continuing uncertainties and time pressure, the BMEL is taking the concerns of the federal states and forest owners very seriously and has taken the initiative with the handout to inform the forestry sector at an early stage.
The handout can be requested from trade-e-bility at beratung@trade-e-bility.de. Is your company affected by the EUDR? Christopher Blauth and Jens Haasler will be happy to answer your questions.
