Proposal to drop leather from EUDR creates “ridiculous loophole”
After a review of the proposed legislation, campaigners welcome the text of the regulation not being reopened, but concerns remain over proposal to exclude leather from the scope of the Regulation
Link to European Commission documents:
The European Commission has presented its review of the simplification of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), introducing measures that will reduce administrative costs and burdens for companies covered by the Regulation. The planned dates for entry into application remain 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators.
At the same time the Delegated Act now open for consultation for four weeks proposes the exclusion of key deforestation-risk products such as leather from the Scope of the EUDR.
Isabel Fernandez, Senior Advisor for Mighty Earth, said:
“The European Commission’s proposal to remove leather from the scope of EUDR creates a ridiculous loophole. This is the result of aggressive lobbying by the leather industry, which wrongly claimed leather doesn’t drive deforestation. The proposal means meat from cattle reared on deforested land would be banned, but the cow skins and hides would not. The two are intrinsically linked – to put it bluntly, the meat can’t be accessed until the skin is removed.”
“The European Commission must stand firm and base its decisions on robust scientific evidence, which clearly demonstrates the environmental harm of key forest-risk commodities. Removing products from the scope serves only to weaken the Regulation by the back door.”
Ends
Notes to the editor:
The European Commission’s ‘April Package’ on the EUDR includes:
- FAQs and guidance document on EUDR implementation
- An implementing act for the information system
- Report from the European Commission to the European Council and European Parliament on the simplification carried out to date; and a
- Delegated Act on Annex I (commodities and product Scope).
About leather:
The leather industry has been lobbying to exclude the co-product of the beef and dairy industries from the legislation. Mighty Earth’s Rapid Response #7 report points to leather traceability being dependent on transparent Brazilian cattle supply chains, and opacity at the earliest production stages – i.e., on indirect cattle farms. The report highlights the likelihood of cow hides from deforested areas entering global luxury fashion markets and the supply chains of major automakers, underscoring the intrinsic link between beef and leather. According to JBS, more than 90 percent of the hides of cattle it processes originate from its own slaughterhouses.
More details in “Why the EU Deforestation Regulation must cover leather” here.
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