The European Commission has adopted two key measures to support the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is set to apply from the end of December 2026.
What changes for soya – and what’s in or out of scope
A Delegated Act updates Annex I of the EUDR – the list of products covered by the Regulation – following stakeholder consultation and public feedback. Notably for the soya sector, soybeans for sowing are out – but this exemption applies only to companies whose business is exclusively breeding, multiplying, packaging, or selling soybeans for sowing. For that specific product line, there is no EUDR obligation. However, a seed company is not automatically outside the EUDR if it also trades commercial soybeans for feed or food, markets soya meal, soya oil, or other soya-derived products, or operates within a broader group structure that places in-scope soya products on the market. Soybeans for processing, soya meal, and soya oil remain fully in scope – with due diligence requirements applying from 30 December 2026.
The Delegated Act also adjusts the scope for several other product categories. Other products removed include cattle hides, skins and leather, re-treaded tyres, articles of vulcanised rubber, conveyor and transmission belts, and aircraft and motor vehicle seats. New products added to the scope include soluble coffee, certain palm oil derivatives, and frozen cattle tongues. These newly added products will only become subject to the Regulation from 30 December 2027, giving businesses additional time to prepare. The Delegated Act also clarifies that samples and products used for analysis, examination and testing fall outside the scope of the Regulation. The European Parliament and the Council will now review it during a two-month scrutiny period before it enters into application in December.
Updated rules for the EUDR Information System
A second measure – an Implementing Act – establishes the technical rules for the EUDR Information System used to submit due diligence statements and simplified declarations. The updated system introduces simplified declarations for micro and small primary operators, as well as updated technical specifications for automated application programming interfaces (APIs). Additional functionalities are expected later this summer.
The Information System reopened at the end of June 2026. The Commission will continue to improve the system, update documentation, and offer training sessions for companies starting at the end of July 2026.
EUDR guidance now available in all EU languages
The updated EUDR Guidance, previously published only in English in May, has also been formally adopted today in all EU languages.