EUDR deadlines: 30 December 2026 and 30 June 2027 — which applies to you
30 December 2026 is the date for large and medium operators and traders. 30 June 2027 is the later date for micro and small enterprises — but only for non-timber commodities. [Reg. 2025/2650, Art. 38(2)–(3)]
If you are a small operator handling timber or wood products, you stay on the 30 December 2026 date. And the Commission has confirmed the December 2026 date will not move again.
Two dates, set by the December 2025 amendment
Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 amended the EU Deforestation Regulation and fixed its dates of application. [Reg. 2025/2650, Art. 38] There are two:
| Who | Date | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Large & medium operators/traders | 30 December 2026 | Any company that is not a micro or small enterprise |
| Micro & small enterprises (non-timber) | 30 June 2027 | <50 employees and ≤€10m turnover / balance sheet, established by 31 Dec 2024 |
| Small operators handling timber/wood | 30 December 2026 | Timber does not get the later date |
The size test: what counts as micro or small
The later June 2027 date is available only to micro and small enterprises, using the EU's standard SME thresholds. A company is micro or small if it has fewer than 50 employees and either an annual turnover or balance-sheet total of €10 million or less. [Reg. 2025/2650, Art. 38(3)] Cross either threshold upward and you are medium or large — and you are on the December 2026 date.
Two practical traps:
- Group and linked-enterprise rules apply. If your business is part of a larger group, the headcount and turnover may be aggregated, which can push a small-looking subsidiary into the "large" bracket.
- The enterprise must have been established by 31 December 2024 to use the micro/small deferral. [Reg. 2025/2650, Art. 38(3)]
The timber exception — the one that catches people out
Even if you are genuinely a micro or small enterprise, the later June 2027 date does not apply to timber and wood products. A small furniture importer, a small paper merchant or a small charcoal seller is on the 30 December 2026 date like everyone else. [Reg. 2025/2650, Art. 38]
Why "it'll be delayed again" is no longer a safe bet
The application of the regulation was postponed once already (from the original December 2024 date). The December 2025 amendment set the current dates, and the European Commission has publicly stated that the 30 December 2026 date will not move again. [Commission EUDR implementation page] Planning on another delay is a gamble that the people writing the rule have told you not to make.
What the deadline actually is a deadline for
From your application date, you cannot place a relevant product on the EU market (or export it) unless it is covered by the required due diligence and, where you are the operator, a submitted Due Diligence Statement. [Reg. 2023/1115, Art. 3 & Art. 4] The binding constraint in practice is usually supplier data — plot geolocation and legality evidence take months to collect, so the working deadline for starting is well before the legal one.
General information about Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, not legal advice — and not a deforestation assessment. This kind of screening determines your scope, role, deadline and documentary obligations; it does not verify that any plot of land is deforestation-free. Confirm your classification with counsel before relying on it for a market-access decision.
Find out where you actually stand
You don't need a traceability platform to start — you need to know your position and exactly what to ask your suppliers for. The EUDR position report screens your products against Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, names your role and deadline, tiers your origin countries, and hands you ready-to-send supplier data-request letters.
Check if my product is caught → get my EUDR position reportQuestions
What is the EUDR deadline?
30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and traders. 30 June 2027 for micro and small enterprises, but only for non-timber commodities — small operators handling timber or wood products stay on the 30 December 2026 date. These dates are set by Regulation (EU) 2025/2650, Article 38.
Will the EUDR deadline be delayed again?
The application was postponed once before, but the December 2025 amendment set the current dates and the European Commission has stated that the 30 December 2026 date will not move again. Planning on a further delay is not advisable.
Do small timber importers get the June 2027 date?
No. The later 30 June 2027 date applies only to micro and small enterprises dealing in non-timber commodities. A small operator handling timber or wood products (furniture, paper, charcoal) stays on the 30 December 2026 date.
What counts as a small enterprise for the later deadline?
Fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover or balance-sheet total of €10 million or less, established by 31 December 2024. Group and linked-enterprise figures may be aggregated, which can push a small subsidiary into the larger bracket.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 (amending 2023/1115; dates of application and downstream obligations) — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2650/oj — Art. 38(2)–(3) (dates of application; micro/small deferral; timber exception).
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EU Deforestation Regulation) — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1115/oj — Art. 3 (prohibition), Art. 4 (operator obligations).
- European Commission — EUDR implementation, guidance & FAQ — https://green-business.ec.europa.eu/deforestation-regulation-implementation_en — Commission confirmation that December 2026 will not be postponed again.