Earth editorial note
The European Commission has removed leather from the final scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation, a decision made public on July 13 that weakens one of the world's most ambitious supply chain transparency laws. The EUDR, set to take effect at the end of 2026 after two years of delays, requires companies selling cattle, soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, rubber, and timber in the EU to prove their supply chains are free from deforestation.
The Commission's own research concluded that leather could account for up to 17% of the deforestation footprint linked to EUDR-covered imports, mainly from cattle ranching in Latin America. A leaked draft document acknowledged significant environmental benefits from keeping leather in scope, with relatively low compliance costs, but cited supply chain complexity and strain on EU information systems as justifications for the removal.
The decision follows extensive industry lobbying. Transparency records compiled by LobbyFacts show 22 meetings between leather industry groups and EU lawmakers since 2021, with 11 meetings explicitly listing the EUDR as a discussion topic. The lead lobbyists included COTANCE and Italy's Unione Nazionale Industria Conciaria. Other products removed from scope include re-treaded tyres, soybeans for sowing, and certain rubber and vehicle seat products.
Environmental groups reacted sharply. Earthsight's policy lead Fyfe Strachan called the decision deeply disappointing, saying it ignores strong evidence linking European leather consumption to deforestation in Latin America and overlooks the voices of EU citizens from the public consultation. The organisation warned that expanded exemptions for waste and second-hand products could enable abuse, noting that fraudulent trading of fresh palm oil mislabeled as waste is already a recognised problem.
For companies in the leather supply chain, the exclusion means no mandatory satellite or geolocation monitoring for cattle hides going into EU leather products, even though beef itself remains covered. The decision reflects a pattern of incremental weakening of the EUDR since its first passage, raising concerns among conservation groups about the law's overall effectiveness.
Original source
Mongabay
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/european-commission-excludes-leather-from-landmark-deforestation-law/
This summary was prepared by the Earth editorial team. Earth is a knowledge commons supported by EARTH PBC, a technology company building monitoring infrastructure for planetary stewardship. We have a commercial interest in earth observation and supply chain transparency, which we disclose here. Our editorial standards require that news items are selected for relevance to the field, not to promote EARTH's commercial interests.