BELGIUM –  The European Union’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) is facing a major setback after the European Parliament voted to reject the proposed country benchmarking system, which aimed to classify over 190 countries by deforestation risk, Wood Central reports.

The motion, led by Alexander Bernhuber of the European People’s Party (EPP), cited outdated data and a failure to consider current land use and forest degradation. Critics argued the three-tier risk system — low, standard, and high — was too simplistic and lacked nuance.

Although the EPP had previously pushed for a “no-risk” category in negotiations, it was not included in the final agreement between Parliament and the European Council.

That agreement also postponed the EUDR’s implementation: large companies now have until December 2025, while small and micro-enterprises must comply by June 2026. The delay was proposed by the Commission, citing uneven preparedness among EU member states and global partners.

Environmental NGOs, including WWF, condemned the vote. WWF’s Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove warned the decision undermines the regulation’s credibility and the EU’s climate leadership: “Parliament seems blind to the climate crisis,” she said, urging the Commission to stay the course and implement the law as planned.