Mondelēz International has come out and said it: the snacks and confectionery major wants the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) delayed for another 12 months. If Mondelēz gets its way, that would make for a two-year delay all up. The new law was first meant to be enforced December 2024.
But another delay is not a sure thing. Food heavyweights, including Nestlé, Danone, and Ferrero, want the EU to stick to its December 2025 deadline, which means businesses have five months to comply.
Why Mondelēz wants to push back EUDR deadline
It’s not that Mondelēz doesn’t believe in the new law, which aims to wipe out deforestation from EU supply chains for at-risk commodities – including cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, beef, rubber and wood. The company “fully supports” the legislation’s ambition.
But the Cadbury and Oreo maker doubts smallholder farmers in the cocoa supply chain are ready. Successful implementation must reflect “on-the-ground realities”, says Mondelēz’s Massimiliano Di Domenico, vice president of communications and government affairs for Europe, “especially for smallholder farmers in the countries of origin”.
The insinuation is that cocoa smallholders may be struggling to comply more than most. And it’s true that cocoa farmers have faced major hurdles over the last couple of years, with disease, failed crops, and skyrocketing values.
“The cocoa sector is under huge pressure: soaring prices, declining production, and origin countries still scaling up digital capacity with clear implications for the whole value chain,” said Di Domenico on social media platform LinkedIn.
That’s why Mondelēz is “respectfully, transparently and responsibly” calling for a 12-month delay, he says. “Not to dilute ambition, but to enable practical, inclusive, and effective implementation.”
To delay or not delay? EUDR debate fires up, again
Mondeléz has stuck its head above the parapet. At the same time as the company’s VP of government affairs in Europe calls for a delay, other food giants are urging EU policymakers to “stay the course”.
When will EUDR be enforced?
It depends on the size of the business:
- For medium and large operators and traders, EUDR rules are due to be enforced 30 December 2025
- For micro and small enterprises, EUDR rules will come into play six months later on 30 June 2026
In a joint letter, big names in cocoa including Nestlé, Ferrero, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Barry Callebaut, have raised concerns that stakeholders are repeatedly attempting to “delay, revise, or even appeal” the EUDR. Food company signatories, which also include dairy major Danone, want European institutes to preserve the EUDR in both its ambition and timeline.
Signatories say they’re “preparing responsibly and in good faith” for its enforcement later this year.
They also acknowledge the challenges facing smallholder farmers in complying. If smallholders are working in standard or high-risk countries, they’ll need to help food companies in their due diligence, to prove the supply chain is free of deforestation.
For that reason, signatories stress dedicated support for smallholder farmers in producing countries is “crucial” to ensure “fair and inclusive” implementation.
EUDR: The latest on Europe’s deforestation law
The letter comes amid rumours that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will soon make the call whether or not to reopen the EUDR, sources say.
Opposition to the EUDR in its current state is clear within Europe, with some MEPs taking issue with the country benchmarking system. The system splits countries into three categories: high, standard or low risk. The higher the risk, the more thorough the due diligence required from food businesses sourcing from that country. All member states are classified low risk, but representatives from Austria and France want a fourth classification introduced that’s even lower risk: ‘negligible risk’.
Also read → EUDR eyes new country category: ‘negligible risk’
The proposal, adopted by the ENVI Committee, has raised concerns. In theory, it means an ingredient or product associated with illegal deforestation could more easily enter the EU via a ‘negligible risk’ country. The motions also called for ‘compensation mechanisms’, which means a country could achieve a lower risk classification if it reforested elsewhere. Forest campaigners are not happy.
The catalyst for these motions was the Commission’s announcement of which countries would receive which risk level. Somewhat unexpectedly, countries most on industry’s radar for food-related deforestation were not classed as high risk, but instead standard risk. Just four countries are considered high risk, and they’re all under EU council sanctions: Belarus, North Korea, Myanmar and Russia.
With only five months to go until EUDR enforcement, the timeline is tight for both compliance and potential legislative changes. The food industry needs certainty, and if a delay is on the table, that decision must be communicated swiftly and transparently.
