Zacharias Wuragil, Jakarta – A total of 29 civil society organizations are demanding that the European Union reject any proposed postponement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The groups expressed serious concern over recent political developments, which include proposals to delay the regulation's implementation until December 2026.
The organizations noted that, despite the current suspension, due to public criticism, there are also discussions to expand the 'benchmarking' category for countries as 'zero-risk' or 'negligible risk.'
According to a joint statement received by Tempo on Monday, October 6, 2025, this discourse has the potential to "weaken the effectiveness and credibility of the EUDR." The statement was issued by Kaoem Telapak, Pusaka, Auriga Nusantara, Sustainable Madani, Walhi, Forest Watch Indonesia, Satya Bumi, Pantau Gambut, Indonesian Women's Coalition, and 20 other organizations.
The EUDR is designed to ensure that commodities entering the European Union market are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation. "This is an important policy for climate action, forest protection, and global sustainability," the groups asserted.
Climate crisis demands action, not delay
The civil society organizations' statement connected the EUDR delay directly to the escalating global climate crisis, noting several catastrophic natural disasters this year: extreme rainfall and flash floods in Bali, record-breaking heatwaves in Southeast Asia, and forest fires and droughts in the Amazon and Southern Europe.
They emphasized that these disasters are a direct result of deforestation and climate change. "Postponing the EUDR now will only accelerate this crisis, sacrificing lives, livelihoods, and the future of our planet," the statement read.
Indonesia's forests and economic impact
The 29 organizations specifically highlighted the current threat to Indonesia's forests. For instance, in the 2023-2024 period, a total of 216,000 hectares of forest were lost, with 25% of that loss occurring within oil palm plantation concessions.
Deforestation in Indonesia is notably shifting eastward, with West Papua having seen over 800,000 hectares of forest cleared since 2000, and another 1.9 million hectares still at risk from oil palm and forestry concession permits.
Furthermore, 3.4 million hectares of oil palm are operating illegally within forest areas. "The whitening process [legalization] has benefited large corporations, while millions of hectares are still in uncertainty, at risk of further deforestation and illegality if not resolved with strong and well-implemented policies," the CSOs argued.
The organizations also believe that postponing EUDR implementation will have serious economic consequences. A delay risks creating market disparities that disadvantage small farmers, who are already increasingly marginalized from the supply chain. Moreover, the lack of economic incentives from the EU during a postponement period would widen the compliance gap for these farmers.
They cited data showing that climate-related losses in Indonesia between 2020 and 2024 affected the nation's GDP by 0.66 to 3.45 percent, while the impact on the EU's GDP between 2021 and 2023 was around 22 percent.
"The global commodity market seems already unstable due to extreme weather and supply chain disruptions," the statement concluded, adding that "businesses that have invested in sustainability and traceability systems deserve regulatory certainty, not political support withdrawal."
EU must honor Indonesia's commitment
The organizations reminded the European Union that Indonesia has already taken significant steps to align with the EUDR, including improving ISPO standards with enhanced criteria and broader coverage to ensure legal and sustainable palm oil supply chains; accelerating land legality recognition for small independent farmers through the e-STDB program; strengthening wood supply chains by adopting geolocation aspects under the SVLK+ program; developing a National Dashboard for commodity traceability systems; continuing bilateral dialogues with the EU to reinforce these policies.
"These efforts must be accompanied by a firm commitment from the EU to maintain the integrity and timing of the policy," they urged.
The following is the full set of demands from the 29 civil organizations to the European Commission, Parliament, and its member states:
1. Reject any further postponement of the implementation of the EUDR.
2. Maintain the implementation mechanisms, including transparent benchmarking and geolocation requirements.
3. Ensure inclusive and fair compliance aspects for workers, small farmers, and indigenous communities.
4. Lead by setting an example in global climate governance, not retreating under pressure.
5. Firmly reject any form of weakening environmental standards in the EUDR policies through the EU's environmental omnibus package.
6. Mobilize and strengthen technical and economic support for small farmers to comply with EUDR policies while maintaining income.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2055186/29-csos-condemn-proposed-delay-of-eudr-implementatio