On December 18, 2025, the Council of the European Union officially adopted a targeted revision to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), with a landmark decision that has reshaped the regulatory landscape for the global printing and publishing industry: printed products including books, newspapers, and printed images are formally excluded from EUDR’s scope. This explicit exemption clarifies that EUDR will not apply to the printing sector, marking a pragmatic balance between ecological protection and the unique operational realities of printing and publishing.
As the world’s first mandatory regulation focusing on supply chain sustainability, EUDR was originally designed to curb global deforestation by regulating seven core product categories, including timber, beef, cocoa, and their derivatives. Its strict due diligence requirements mandate that operators trace product sources to ensure they do not stem from deforested or degraded lands after January 1, 2020. However, the regulation’s rigor posed insurmountable challenges for the printing industry, triggering widespread calls for clarification that EUDR should not cover printing activities—ultimately prompting the EU to revisit and optimize its implementation framework with this key exemption.
The decision to confirm EUDR does not apply to printing and publishing is rooted in a comprehensive risk assessment and recognition of the sector’s uniqueness. Printed products pose minimal deforestation risks, and the industry’s complex supply chain makes EUDR compliance impracticable. A single hardcover book, for example, may use up to six paper types, each made from pulp sourced from thousands of forest plots—tracking all geolocation data for every print run is logistically unfeasible . Unlike raw timber, printing paper undergoes multiple processes, and the industry already adopts sustainable practices like recycled pulp. This exemption relieves operators from submitting Due Diligence Statements (DDS) for each printed item—a requirement explicitly removed for the sector per EUDR Annex I revisions —avoiding severe supply chain disruptions.
The revision also includes broader adjustments to ease implementation pressures. The effective date for all operators has been postponed to December 30, 2026, with an additional six-month grace period for micro and small enterprises. These measures address concerns from member states and stakeholders regarding preparation gaps in information technology systems and administrative capacity, while preserving EUDR’s core objective of combating deforestation.
The confirmation that EUDR does not apply to printing has been widely celebrated by European publishers and printers, who view it as a commonsense correction to an ill-fitted regulatory burden. It allows the sector to continue voluntary sustainability efforts without being distracted by unworkable EUDR compliance demands. However, some paper manufacturers oppose the split standard, seeking consistent regulatory coverage. The EU Commission must conduct a review by April 30, 2026, to evaluate the exemption’s impact, but the current revision firmly establishes that printing and publishing activities fall outside EUDR’s remit .
This revision underscores the EU’s flexible environmental governance, proving effective policies must align with industrial realities. For the global printing and publishing industry, the clarity that EUDR is not applicable to their operations provides long-awaited policy stability. It reinforces that sustainability in printing will rely on voluntary industry initiatives rather than EUDR’s mandatory supply chain tracing—striking a balance between ecological goals and sector viability.
