Financial Times publishes a letter critical of EUDR implementation signed by Paul Brannen

The Financial Times published on July 23, 2024 a letter signed by Paul Brannen, Director of Public Affairs at CEI-Bois (European Confederation of Woodworking Industries), who discusses the challenges of implementing the EU's EU Regulation on Forest Clearance Regulation (EUDR).

The letter points out that while the European timber industries fully support the EUDR's objectives, practical implementation of the regulation is proving problematic. Brannen argues that the EUDR has become an example of "burdensome micromanagement", a term recently criticized by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The main points highlighted in the letter are:

1. Difficulties for EU companies in meeting new legal obligations to verify products on the EU market and exports.

2. Unusually short implementation time compared to similar European legislation, according to an independent legal assessment.

3. Insufficient transition period to reach the targets before the deadline (December 30, 2024 for large companies, June 30, 2025 for micro and small enterprises).

4. The limited clarity of the obligations imposed by the Regulation, evidenced by the need to publish 86 responses to industry questions by the Commission, with a further 40 responses expected.

5. The fact that 37 articles of the regulation require more than 100 "answers" from the Commission to be understood.

In conclusion, the letter calls on the European Union to grant an adequate delay in the implementation of the EUDR in order to effectively combat deforestation and illegal logging and to translate the EUDR objectives into positive results.

More information on the EUDR, what it is, what it aims to achieve, timeframes and global implications can be found in the analysis in this article.