Deforestation-free products

Healthy forests are vital for people and the environment. EU rules aim to reduce global deforestation by regulating the import and export of goods, the production of which contributes to the loss of forests worldwide.

Minimising deforestation and forest degradation

The EU has introduced rules to minimise deforestation and forest degradation linked to the EU’s consumption of certain goods. The EU regulation on deforestation-free products (2023/1115) makes sure products placed on or exported from the EU market are deforestation free and do not come from land that has been recently deforested or degraded.

The law is the first of its kind worldwide. It entered into force in June 2023 and will apply from 30 December 2026 for all operators, and from 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators.

Without these rules, the EU could cause more than 248 000 hectares of deforestation per year – an area almost as large as Luxembourg.

The rules will also:

address illegal logging
protect biodiversity and forests’ ability to capture CO2

over

Which goods and products are covered?

The rules apply to these main goods and many of their derived products:

cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood
products made from them, such as chocolate, furniture, printed paper and selected palm-oil-based derivates (used, for example, as components in personal care products)

Which of the goods causes the most EU-linked deforestation?

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A pie chart showing the share of each of the seven listed goods on global deforestation when consumed in the EU. Palm oil causes most of the EU-driven deforestation with a share of 35%, followed by soy (33%), which is mostly used for animal feed. Wood causes 9%, cocoa 8%, coffee 7%, beef 5% and rubber 3%.

European Commission, 2008-2017. The figures are rounded.

How the rules work?

All traders who place listed goods on the EU market, make them available or export them from the EU market must follow mandatory due diligence rules.

They must trace the products they are selling back to the plot of land where they were produced, using satellite images and GPS coordinates. This helps prove that products do not come from deforested or degraded land. A digital system provides authorities with information on where the products come from.

A benchmarking system gives each EU and non-EU country a risk level for deforestation and forest degradation. The risk category is used to determine the level of specific obligations for operators and member states’ authorities to carry out inspections and controls.

The rules take into account the protection of human rights related to deforestation. They also include provisions regarding penalties for non-compliant traders and support enhanced cooperation with partner countries.

Legislative background

The regulation on deforestation-free products has been in force since June 2023. Since then, it has been simplified and its application has been postponed to 30 June 2027 for micro and small operators, and to 30 December 2026 for all other operators.

This targeted revision responded to concerns raised by EU countries and stakeholders about administrative burden and IT system readiness, while fully preserving the regulation’s objective of preventing deforestation and forest degradation linked to products placed on the EU market.

The state of global deforestation

Every minute, the world loses a forest area the size of 10 football pitches, according to the World Resources Institute.

The main driver is the expansion of agricultural land. As populations grow and food demand rises, more forests are cleared to create crop land and increase agricultural productivity. Producing goods such as palm oil and soy has a high cost for forests and the environment.

Global forest loss since 1990 (in million hectares)

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A line chart showing the loss of forests worldwide since 1990. In 2010, the loss accounted for 143 million hectares, and in 2025, for 203 million hectares.

Why forests should be protected

Forests cover 30% of the Earth’s land area. They provide a range of benefits that are vital for human health and well-being, and the environment. Forests are havens of biodiversity hosting most of the world’s land-based species of animals, plants and fungi.