EUDR Simplification Review:
What to expect this week - and what it means for business
The long awaited EUDR Simplification Review is due out this week (last week of April 2026). Will we get it on time? What should we expect it to contain? Here’s a rundown of the potential Simplification Review changes and other recent EUDR developments based on presentations from the EU authorities, national competent authorities, companies and NGOs I’ve been speaking to…
What to expect from the Similification Review:
Simplification Review to be released this week – EC officials are currently working on finalising the Simplification Review and it should be published this week (last week of April 2026). So businesses should look out for news on proposed changes.
No further delays – A DG Environment official stated that there will be no further delays to the EUDR and it will be come into force on 31st December 2026 as planned. I was in a room last week where multiple producer country representatives called out in support of no further delays too. They wanted certainty and clarity for their markets. Last week the US Congress also wrote to Ursula von der Leyen urging the EC to implement the regulation in it’s current form, according to reporting from Mighty Earth.
Changes to product scope – There’s been intense lobbying from some camps and the EC have stated there will be ‘targeted’ changes to product scope. An example of this lobbying has been reported by Global Witness around Leather. Smaller additions and subtractions could be seen, including a rumoured addition of instant coffee to the scope of the regulation.
Other EUDR news and resources:
Dutch Competent Authority has completed enforcement dry runs with +20 Operators – The Results showed that:
(Despite self-selecting) only 11 out of 20 had a full due diligence system in place
Only 7 / 20 companies had collected sufficient information.
Only 9 / 20 had a list of relevant legislation for source countries.
14 / 20 assessed risks at all, and only 3 / 14 assessed risks sufficiently.
Of the total however, 5 / 20 had assessed and mitigated risk sufficiently.
Commenting on timelines for audits the CA said that Operators will be given 10 – 14 days to submit information requested. The rationale being that the products selected will already have been placed on the market at the Operator therefore should have access to all required information as they’ve attested to them being in compliance at the point of import.
Global Forest Cover (GFC2020) Map V3 is 92.8% accurate – Issued back in late 2025, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) are on the 3rd iteration and have increased accuracy. This version reportedly better identifies clear felling for replanting and improved identification of coffee and cocoa plantations.
Legality definition – There’s been much discussion about the scope of the legality definition. Client Earth published a great technical analysis of the EUDR Legality requirements in April 2025 and European Forest Institute (EFI) have a useful Legality Due Diligence Navigator and country-commodity Risk Tools.
The EC is expected to announce in the Simplification Review this week that it will also develop a public compendium of applicable legislation for key countries by the end of the year. Although if it’s left to the 11th hour and issued in December 2026, this will likely frustrate rather than help companies who are eyeing proactive compliance before the application date. Despite this worry, the move at least responds to business calls for clarity on legality requirements - recently the newly formed EUDR Community of Practice surveyed stakeholders and found that legality assessment was a key area of weakness and worry for companies.
Confidentiality & Data governance/ security laws – Companies are raising concerns about accessing the information needed for EUDR compliance against a backdrop of confidentiality/ data laws which prohibit this. Key amongst these is Indonesia. Companies are awaiting clarity from EU and Indonesian negotiations.
Despite potential changes and known gaps, many companies I’ve spoken to have said they feel ready for the EUDR and welcome certainty on timelines from the EC so they can make the required amendments to meet their compliance obligations.
Whether you’re just starting on your EUDR journey or require expert advice to tackle remaining issues, contact Wildground today for support.
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