The EU revises the deforestation law product list with significant updates to the scope of its landmark EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), providing greater clarity for businesses ahead of implementation. Under the revised rules, leather has been removed from the list of regulated products, while several palm oil-derived products, soluble coffee, and a range of oleochemicals have been added. The regulation also excludes soybean seeds, palm oil-derived products used in human and veterinary medicines, and palm oil waste used as biofuel feedstock.

The European Commission says the changes are intended to improve implementation while maintaining the regulation’s primary objective of preventing products linked to deforestation from entering the EU market. However, the exclusion of leather has triggered criticism from lawmakers and environmental groups, who argue it weakens the legislation’s effectiveness.

Leather Removed From the Final Product List

The EU revises its deforestation law product list by removing leather despite its close link to cattle production. The European Commission argued that because finished leather goods such as shoes, handbags, and accessories are already outside the regulation’s scope, keeping leather within the law could unintentionally shift manufacturing to countries with weaker environmental oversight, potentially relocating rather than reducing deforestation.

However, the decision has drawn criticism. German Member of the European Parliament Delara Burkhardt argued that there is no scientific or technical basis for excluding leather. She pointed out that beef produced from cattle raised on deforested land would be banned under the regulation, while leather derived from the same animal could still be imported into the European Union.

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New Products Added to the Regulation

While some products have been removed, the updated regulation expands coverage to include several additional commodities associated with forest-risk supply chains.

Newly added products include Soluble coffee, palm oil-based soap, and various oleochemicals derived from palm oil.

These additional product categories will become subject to the regulation from December 2027, allowing businesses additional time to adjust their supply chains and compliance systems.

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Improvements to the EUDR Information System

• Alongside the revised product list, the European Commission has also introduced updates to the EUDR Information System, the online platform companies use to submit geolocation data proving that products were not sourced from recently deforested land.
• The revised system simplifies reporting requirements for smallholder farmers and forest owners who sell directly into the European market without intermediaries.
• The platform returned to operation in June 2026 following extensive technical upgrades after earlier concerns that it might struggle to process the expected volume of compliance data.

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Legal Review and Industry Response

Although the revised product list has now been published, it is not yet completely final. Both the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have a two-month review period during which they can challenge the delegated act.

Environmental organizations welcomed the publication despite expressing concerns over the exclusions. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said the updated rules provide long-awaited legal certainty for companies preparing to comply with the EUDR. WWF emphasized that, with both the revised product scope and upgraded information system now in place, businesses and EU member states have the necessary tools to move toward full implementation of the regulation.

The revised product list marks another important milestone in the rollout of the EU Deforestation Regulation, which aims to reduce the European Union’s contribution to global deforestation by requiring companies to demonstrate that commodities placed on the EU market are free from links to forest destruction.