{"id":18047,"date":"2026-05-14T09:33:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rubberbandex.com\/natural-rubber-regulated-by-eudr\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T10:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:13:42","slug":"natural-rubber-regulated-by-eudr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rubberbandex.com\/en\/natural-rubber-regulated-by-eudr\/","title":{"rendered":"Natural rubber: a regulated product under the EUDR"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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On 6 December 2022, the European Parliament and the Council reached a landmark agreement aimed at minimising the European Union\u2019s contribution to global deforestation and promoting more sustainable consumption of natural resources. This led to the creation of the EUDR Regulation, officially published in the Official Journal of the EU on 9 May 2023 as Regulation (EU) 2023\/1115<\/a>.<\/p>

This regulation governs the placing on the European market and\/or export of a list of products and their derivatives: palm oil, cocoa, coffee, natural rubber, cattle, timber, soy, beef, as well as leather products, printed paper, furniture, cosmetics and chocolate.<\/p>

Why is the EU Deforestation Regulation necessary?<\/h2>

According to the FAO\u2019s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020<\/em> report, our planet has lost 178 million hectares of forest since 1990 \u2014 an area equivalent to Libya. Although the rate of net forest loss slowed to 4.7 million hectares per year during the 2010\u20132020 decade, the trend remains concerning.<\/p>

The EUDR forms part of the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Its objective is to reduce biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to the preservation of habitats that support the livelihoods of millions of people.<\/p>

Main provisions of the EUDR Regulation<\/h2>

The obligations established by the Regulation are structured around four key pillars:<\/p>

Product destination.<\/strong> The production and export of the regulated products must demonstrate that they have not contributed to deforestation, meaning they were produced on land that has not been deforested after 31 December 2020 and that they comply with the applicable legislation in the country of origin.<\/p>

Traceability.<\/strong> Operators must provide production dates, geolocation data and exact coordinates for all plots from which the regulated products are sourced.<\/p>

Due diligence.<\/strong> Prior to any placing on the market or export, operators are required to carry out a risk assessment and mitigate any identified non-negligible risks.<\/p>

Central information system.<\/strong> Due diligence statements must be registered in the TRACES-EUDR IT system, accessible to national and customs authorities.<\/p>

Update: two postponements and definitive implementation set for 2026<\/h2>

Since the original publication of the Regulation, the implementation timeline has undergone significant changes worth noting.<\/p>

First postponement (December 2024).<\/strong> Initially scheduled for 30 December 2024, the implementation of the EUDR was postponed by one year, mainly due to delays in the development of the European IT system and concerns regarding the administrative burden on businesses.<\/p>

Second postponement (December 2025).<\/strong> On 19 December 2025, the European Parliament and the Council approved Regulation (EU) 2025\/2650, postponing the application date once again. The new regulation sets 30 December 2026 for medium-sized and large companies, while micro-enterprises and SMEs are granted an additional six months, until June 2027. The main reason for this second extension was that the digital infrastructure required to manage the volume and complexity of due diligence data was still not operational.<\/p>

Simplification of obligations.<\/strong> The approved text also reduces the due diligence burden: responsibility for the declaration will rest exclusively with the company introducing the product into the EU market for the first time, while micro-enterprises in the primary sector will only need to submit a single simplified declaration.<\/p>

Upcoming review.<\/strong> Before 30 April 2026, the European Commission must present a report on the simplification and administrative burden of the Regulation, together with legislative proposals, if necessary, to improve the system.<\/p>

In any case, the core objectives of the Regulation remain unchanged: the environmental goals of the EUDR still stand, and companies that have already progressed in their traceability preparations should not stop their efforts.<\/p>

What about natural rubber?<\/h2>

The advantages of natural rubber \u2014 its high resistance combined with flexibility and permeability \u2014 make it an essential raw material, with annual consumption exceeding one million tonnes in Europe. It is primarily used in the automotive industry, although its applications extend to other manufacturing sectors such as elastic rubber bands.<\/p>

The natural rubber consumed in the EU is not produced within its territory: it is entirely imported from Southeast Asia and Africa. Its regulation under the EUDR aims to mitigate deforestation damage, ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss associated with its extraction.<\/p>

What is Bandex doing to help preserve the environment?<\/h2>

Bandex is an SME, which means that, under Regulation (EU) 2025\/2650, we have until 30 June 2027 to fully implement the obligations established by the EUDR. However, rather than using this additional time as an excuse to delay action, we have proactively advanced in the three pillars of our sustainability strategy:<\/p>

Rigorous supplier selection.<\/strong> We ensure that our natural rubber imports comply with the applicable legislation in the countries of production and support the protection of plantations and original habitats.<\/p>

\u201cZero Waste\u201d certification.<\/strong> In 2018, we launched a Sustainability Strategy that led us to obtain the Bureau Veritas \u201cZero Waste\u201d certification in 2021, which has now been renewed for the second consecutive time. We manage between 60% and 80% of our waste through alternatives to landfill, focusing on recycled materials and circular economy practices.<\/p>

Renewable energy.<\/strong> The installation of photovoltaic solar panels enables us to generate part of the energy consumed in our industrial production and feed surplus energy back into other consumption networks.<\/p>

Stay informed: official EU source<\/h2>

The EUDR Regulation is a living piece of legislation, subject to regular updates. To follow developments regarding deadlines, the information system and implementation guidelines, we recommend consulting the European Commission\u2019s official page dedicated to the Deforestation Regulation:<\/p>

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