Democratic Lawmakers Urge EU Commission to Preserve EUDR Text and Implementation Timeline

On April 24th, a coalition of Democratic members of Congress addressed a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling on the EU to preserve both the current text and the implementation timeline of the EUDR. The lawmakers strongly oppose proposals attributed to the Trump administration to introduce a “no risk” country designation and to further delay implementation of the Regulation.

In their letter, the U.S. representatives argue that such changes would weaken traceability and enforcement mechanisms, create loopholes for deforestation and forest degradation, and disproportionately disadvantage countries in the Global South. They also underline that introducing a “no risk” category would exempt certain operators from key due diligence requirements, thereby undermining accountability.

The signatories also warn that additional delays to the implementation timeline, already extended to the end of 2026, would generate regulatory uncertainty and inefficiencies across industries, while penalizing companies that have already invested in compliance. They emphasize that timely implementation would instead reward responsible businesses and contribute to more transparent and sustainable global supply chains.

The letter also questions the credibility of the U.S. administration’s position, pointing to recent domestic actions to roll back forest protection measures. According to the lawmakers, granting a “no risk” status in this context could result in insufficient oversight of operators and increase the risk of unchecked deforestation.

This letter follows ongoing engagement from the Trump Administration who has recently lobbied EU institutions and Member States on the implementation of EUDR, in particular regarding its country benchmarking system and potential simplification measures.

Commission indicates it does not intend to re-open EUDR legislative text as part of April 30th review

During the European Commission’s Midday Press Briefing on April 27th it was confirmed that the Commission is expected to present its EUDR Simplification Review by the April 30th deadline. This review is set to include:

• A review report regarding the Regulation

• Updated guidance documents and frequently asked questions

• A delegated act on scope, which is anticipated to include additional HS codes under coffee and palm oil

• An implementing act related to the EUDR IT system (i.e. EU TRACES). This update may impact the expected re-launch of the EU TRACES system, which has been in the midst of updates since mid February.

Critically, the EU Commission indicated that it does not intend to reopen the legislative text any further as part of this April 30th review. Any amendments proposed by the Commission as part of the April 30th review are expected to come via delegated or implementing acts and not legislative proposals that require a re-opening of the adopted text.

For more information about how Sourcemap can help your business comply with EUDR requirements in advance of the December 30th deadline, reach out to our team of policy experts today.