ETRMA calls for ‘real simplification’ as EUDR faces further delay

Brussels – The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has voiced concern over a European Commission’s plan to delay the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by another year.

In a 23 Sept letter to the European Parliament, the Commission proposed postponing the EUDR implementation to December 2026, due to concerns that its IT system was not ready for the process.

The IT system, it said, “must be able to handle all the transactions for products covered by the EUDR and initiated by economic operators... both upstream and downstream, inside and outside the EU.”

The European institution stated that it has been deploying the IT system in collaboration with stakeholders over the past year.

“New projections on the number of expected operations and interactions… led to a substantial upward reassessment of the projected load on the IT system,” the Commission added.

Proposing the delay, the Commission warned that IT shortcomings could reduce the system’s performance to “unacceptable levels” or trigger “repeated and long-lasting disruptions.”

In response to the delay, ETRMA said the European tire and rubber industry and many natural rubber producers were “upstream-ready.”

“A further delay risks prolonging uncertainty for operators who have prepared in good faith and are looking forward to demonstrating their commitment,” said Adam McCarthy, ETRMA secretary general.

The industry group urged that any extra time should be used to introduce “real simplification” to the legislation.

In particular, it called for due diligence obligations to end with the “first placer” on the EU market and remain valid for the entire commercial life of the product, “without involving downstream operators in unnecessary burdens.”

Such a move, it argued, would also help resolve IT bottlenecks that are among the reasons cited for the delay.

“The objective of halting deforestation is right and urgent. But endless transition periods without simplification will not deliver results,” McCarthy added.

“ETRMA calls on EU institutions to ensure that, if more time is granted, it is used to fix the regulation — not to stall it.”

Originally scheduled to apply from 30 Dec 2024, the EUDR aims to ensure that certain commodities and derived products, including natural rubber, placed on the EU market are not linked to deforestation.