EUDR implementation deadline postponed to 30/12/2025
Recently, the EU Delegation to Vietnam in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development organized a workshop on “Technical Exchange on EUDR and Deforestation and Degradation Free Value Chains”. The event aimed to clarify the new EU guidelines, answer questions from stakeholders, and discuss traceability tools in supply chains in Vietnam.
The EUDR was enacted to ban the import of products and goods that cause deforestation and forest degradation after December 31, 2020. Coffee, rubber, wood and wood products are Vietnam's key industries affected by this regulation. This is part of the strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, and promote transparent and sustainable global supply chains.
Farmers in Hoa Dong commune, Krong Pak district (Dak Lak province) harvest coffee. Photo: TL
At the workshop, Dr. Rui Ludovino - First Counsellor for Climate Action, Environment, Employment and Social Policy (EU Delegation to Vietnam) said that the EU Regulation on the management of imports and exports of products that do not cause deforestation and forest degradation (EUDR) was supposed to come into effect from December 30, 2024. However, the European Parliament (EC) voted to postpone the implementation of the EUDR at the session on November 13-14, 2024, for a period of 12 months.
As such, large importers, exporters and traders trading with the EU market will have to comply with the Regulation from 30 December 2025, while micro and small businesses will have additional time until 30 June 2026. This additional time will help global operators to implement the Regulation smoothly and conveniently from the start without compromising the objectives of the Regulation.
“The EU is committed to continuing to support stakeholders in Vietnam by providing the tools and information needed to understand the EUDR, a key element in the global effort to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. The EU will use this time to increase its support to third countries and other partners; and continue to implement existing dialogue and cooperation projects, focusing on legality, traceability, and the inclusion of smallholders, among other important elements,” Dr. Rui Ludovino emphasized.
Proactively respond to EUDR requirements
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. To Viet Chau, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, affirmed: “Although the European Commission (EC) postponed the application of EUDR, Vietnam did not wait but proactively responded to the requirements of EUDR. This initiative demonstrates the determination to build a sustainable, transparent and deforestation-free supply chain, contributing to strengthening the position of a responsible agricultural product supplier in the international market.”
In July 2023, Vietnam issued the EUDR Adaptation Action Plan Framework, after which the Minister sent a letter to the Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committees requesting coordination in implementing this Action Plan framework.
Experts warn that the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) could cause a global coffee boom, including in Vietnam. Photo: Lam Dong farmers harvesting coffee (Van Long)
Regarding the roadmap for implementing technical solutions to adapt to EUDR in Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien (Department of International Cooperation) said that many agricultural product sectors in Vietnam such as coffee and rubber have implemented a roadmap to adapt to EUDR.
For example, for coffee, the coffee PPP group co-chaired by the Department of Crop Production, Nestle Company and JDE Group is the focal point for implementing EUDR adaptation activities. From January to July 2024, this group has implemented a pilot solution to meet EUDR requirements in Dak Lak and Lam Dong. In February 2024, a public-private alliance was established to share and secure information and data on the construction of forest systems and production areas that meet EUDR in the above two provinces, and is expected to expand to Gia Lai.
The Forestry PPP Group established a Working Group to develop and implement the Forestry Department's EUDR Adaptation Plan on 3 July 2024. This group has developed technical guidance documents to meet the EUDR Regulation for the coffee, wood and wood products, and rubber sectors. At the same time, it has proactively developed technical solution packages and sent them to the EC for feedback.
It can be said that the adaptation to EUDR in Vietnam is having many advantages. For example, Vietnam has stopped logging from natural forests since 2014; Vietnamese enterprises are also familiar with the EU Timber Regulation 995/2010, have implemented the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA/FLEGT), and implemented the Timber Agreement with the United States to control illegal logging and trade...
Regarding the difficulties in the process of adapting to EUDR, the representative of the Forestry Department said that the forestry sector database is still lacking, inconsistent, and there is no 2020 forest boundary map that meets the requirements of EUDR. Meanwhile, the supply chain of agricultural products in Vietnam is often long, complex, small-scale, and compliance with traceability is limited. The EU has not yet provided specific guidance on methods and indicators for monitoring the implementation of EUDR.
Mr. Trinh Duc Minh, Chairman of Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, said that products exported to the EU must prove that they do not deforest/degrade forests through forest maps, coffee maps, plots/information on each plot of growing area of the household/farm. "Those regulations must be proven very hard and require a lot of effort, so the EU has postponed it for a year," he said.
Since 2023, the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association has been promoting implementation in the field, but it cannot be done quickly. Because, first, we must review the status of forest maps and planting area maps to make sure they are accurate and recognized by the EU; second, we must investigate/count information on farms/farmers. Experts and businesses all affirm that most of the area of the Vietnamese coffee industry is not related to deforestation/does not cause forest degradation, the problem is that we have to prove it.
Dr. Rui Ludovino assessed: “Compared to other countries, Vietnam and related enterprises have been best prepared, thanks to the active support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, industry associations and especially the enterprises themselves.”
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