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Aiwanger criticizes EU plan: Deforestation regulation harms Bavaria!
EU Commission proposes extension of the implementation period of the Deforestation Regulation for small companies. Criticism from Bavaria.
Aiwanger criticizes EU plan: Deforestation regulation harms Bavaria!
On October 22, 2025, EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall presented a proposal to offer small businesses in the European Union an extended deadline to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). So far, these companies that employ fewer than 50 people have until December 30, 2025 to respond. The new proposal would allow them to respond to the EUDR's requirements by June 30, 2026. This regulation aims to reduce deforestation and forest degradation through the sale of certain products on the European market.
The EUDR, which came into force on June 29, 2023, affects a wide range of products, including timber, rubber, beef, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, soy and their derivatives. However, recycled materials such as recycled paper are excluded. To reduce bureaucratic hurdles, the new proposal proposes that companies only have to register once and provide centralized data, instead of having to account for each batch of products individually.
Criticism of the regulation
Bavaria's Economics and Energy Minister Hubert Aiwanger was critical of the proposed measures. He described the bureaucracy caused by the EUDR as harmful to the economy and called for a complete stop to the regulation on domestic products. Aiwanger emphasizes that Bavaria's forest management cannot be compared to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations predominate, and points to the laws already in place in Bavaria that prevent deforestation.
“The forest area in Bavaria is growing and the existing EU regulations on forest management are not necessary,” says Aiwanger. He also warns of the negative consequences for forest owners and forests that the strict requirements of the EUDR could pose. The minister is therefore calling for a comprehensive revision of the regulation.
Support for small businesses
The European Commission is also planning to provide relief for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in the implementation of the EUDR. Specifically, first-time importers and first-time distributors must create a due diligence declaration in the EUDR information system and provide geolocation data of the origin. For downstream small companies that only act as dealers, it is possible to carry out simplified documentation by only having to document the reference number of their supplier.
These simplifications apply in particular to SMEs from low-risk countries and are intended to help reduce administrative burdens. The IT system for managing due diligence declarations is expected to go live on December 5, 2024 to help companies adapt to the new requirements.
The EU deforestation regulation will not only affect forest management in Europe, but also influence global trade structures. It remains to be seen how the European Parliament and the Council will react to the EU Commission's proposals.