As we reported in October, news out of the European Union suggested there could be changes, and possibly a delay, to the expected implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) issued the following statement on December 2, 2025 summarizing the current situation:
In response to [the European Commission’s October] proposal, both the EU Council and EU Parliament have adopted negotiating mandates. This puts parties in a position to begin trilogue negotiations on a final text.
Key elements of Council and Parliament positions include:
A uniform delay in applicability for all operators until December 2026
Simplifications for operators as proposed by the Commission, with additional reduced obligations for downstream operators.
A requirement for the European Commission to conduct a simplification review of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 and present a report by April 30, 2026.
The Parliament position would also remove HS49 from Annex 1.
Press releases outlining each position are attached here:
The next steps in the EUDR’s amendment process are:
Trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission to reach a final agreed text.
Publication of the negotiated text, and its endorsement by both the EU Parliament and Council.
Publication of the final amended Regulation in the EU’s Official Journal prior to December 30, 2025.
Should agreement not be reached and published, the EUDR would enter into force on December 30, 2025.
Canada will continue to follow this process, and to advocate for measures that reduce the risk of trade barriers for Canadian exporters.
Publishing industry media reports have also included news of a possible amendment removing books from EUDR’s scope. While this potential amendment would cause relief for many publishing industry participants, publishers would be wise to note the following:
The proposed amendment would remove specific printed products: books, newspapers, magazines, and journals.
Note that paper, as a wood-sourced product, is still in scope, as well as paper-based products that are not classified as books, newspapers, magazines, and journals (AKA periodicals). This would include packaging material.
There are some notable publishing industry products, such as stationery, diaries, and blank notebooks that would still be in scope.
The proposed amendment arranges for a full-scale review of the Regulation by April 2026.
As the proposed amendment and delay have not yet been formalized, and there are just weeks before the current implementation date of December 30, 2025, BookNet recommends that publishers exporting to the European Union continue to operate under the assumption that the current dates for EUDR’s implementation apply. Moreover, if the changes are formalized and the documentation updated, BookNet encourages publishers to continue to prepare for the legislation while using the additional time to develop rigorous supply chain workflows to support the dynamic exchange of products and data into the EU. Publishers should endeavour to have the necessary conversations with supply chain partners as soon as possible to increase confidence levels and knowledge as it pertains to the expectations of importers to the EU. BookNet’s Bibliographic Manager Tom Richardson flags that, “a foreign [i.e., Canadian] company's success in placing a book into the EU likely depends on their EU trading partner's ability to articulate their needs.” The delay, if finalized, will provide welcome additional time for necessary communications.
Recall that the delay announced in October 2024 for the original implementation date was only confirmed December 19, 2024, less than two weeks before the expected deadline. Failure to prepare could have had disastrous effects!
In PrintWeek, “Lisa Faratro, director of environment and sustainability at UK and pan-European book printer CPI Group, also urged for caution ahead of a further vote next month that is needed to ratify the latest proposals. She said:
“The uncertainty has not been easy for anyone in the supply chain and the recent headline reporting that EUDR legislation has been delayed and books removed from the legislation doesn't help. These statements are not factually correct, it is still in negotiation and the only thing that is certain at the moment is, if there is no agreement between the trilogue in time, then EUDR legislation will apply from 30th December and that is what we all still need to be working towards.”
She added:
“In whatever form the legislation eventually goes live, it has made everyone look in more detail at supply chains, work more closely with suppliers and their partners and has required us all to be more open to sharing information. Therefore, if that ends up being the only outcome, I do see this progress as a positive, although the effort, time and investment this has taken across the industry, for over two years, is certainly not balanced.”
BookNet Canada and our partners at the Green Book Alliance will continue to provide updates through this and other channels. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates.
Related: EUDR Essentials for Publishers: Understanding and Responding to the Regulation webinar posted
Livres Canada Books worked with the Green Book Alliance to present a webinar in September 2025 that broke down what publishers need to know:
The scope and implications of the EUDR
What it means for publishers, distributors, and retailers inside and outside the EU
The critical need for transparent data collection and traceability in raw material sourcing
Essential terms, deadlines, and compliance timelines
How to enhance ONIX metadata to share key information required under the regulation
The webinar recording and slides are available now.
Reminder: EDItEUR updates its ONIX documentation
EDItEUR has released several updates to their essential and comprehensive Application Note, EU Deforestation Regulation and ONIX.
Download the current document at the link below:
For French language readers, Livres Canada Books and BTLF have collaborated with BookNet Canada on a Quebec French translation, which can be downloaded at the link below:
The latest news out of the European Commission.