The European Commission formally adopted the EUDR benchmarking system through an Implementing Regulation in May 2025. This system classifies countries into low, standard, or high-risk categories based on their deforestation and forest degradation profiles. The classification is intended to guide the level of due diligence required by EU operators and traders when placing relevant commodities and products on the EU market.

The benchmarking system applies to the seven key commodities covered by the EUDR cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood. The list of countries and their current classification status can be accessed via the European Commission’s official list.

As of now, only a limited number of countries have been publicly classified, and the Commission has stated that the system will be dynamic, with updates based on new data and stakeholder input. The EUDR will apply from 30 December 2025 for large and medium-sized companies, and from 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises.

July 2025 Update: Political Pushback and Industry Concerns

In July 2025, the European Parliament voted (373–289) to reject the Commission’s proposed country risk classification system. While the vote is non-binding, it reflects growing political pressure to revise or delay the benchmarking framework.

At the same time, several Member States and major companies, have publicly called for simplification of the regulation and a postponement of the December 2025 enforcement date. These stakeholders argue that the current system is too complex and burdensome, particularly for global supply chains.

Despite this pressure, the European Commission has not confirmed any changes to the current timeline or the benchmarking methodology. However, the ongoing debate is expected to influence the planned review of the regulation in 2026.

UKFT will continue to monitor developments closely and provide members with timely updates, including any changes to country classifications, due diligence requirements or enforcement timelines. If you need support preparing for EUDR compliance or understanding how the benchmarking system may affect your sourcing strategy, please contact the UKFT team by emailing info@ukft.org

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