European Commission Excludes Leather from Anti-Deforestation Law, Reducing Compliance Costs
The European Commission has revised its European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to exclude leather from its list of products that must be 'deforestation-free' to be sold in the EU market. This decision comes after significant lobbying from the leather industry, which argued that leather should not be included in the regulation. The EUDR, initially set to be enforced in December 2024 for large businesses, has been delayed to December 2026, with small businesses following in June 2027. The regulation aims to ensure that products like beef, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, natural rubber, soy, and wood are legally produced and do not contribute to deforestation. The exclusion of leather is expected to reduce compliance costs for businesses by about 75%. The Commission's decision has sparked criticism from environmental groups, who argue that excluding leather undermines the regulation's effectiveness in combating deforestation. 
