European Forestry Pulse #103 🌲

Hello,

Two weeks ago, a leaked draft hinted at big EUDR scope changes. Now it's official. The Commission signed on Monday. Leather is out. Coffee is in. Timber didn't move an inch.

Meanwhile, the UK just showed us a price split that should make every forest owner look twice.

Here's what's moving European forestry this week:

On the 13th of July, the European Commission formally adopted two legal acts for the EUDR. One is a Delegated Act. It changes the list of products in scope. The other is an Implementing Act. It sets the technical rules for the filing system.

This is the payoff to the leaked draft we covered in EFP #101. The draft is now a decision.

Here is what leaves EUDR scope:

Here is what joins EUDR scope:

The new additions do not apply right away. They start on 30 December 2027 — a full year after the main deadline.

Timber stays fully in scope. Nothing about wood-sector duty changed. Your due diligence obligations are exactly as before.

Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall put the goal plainly. The package gives "clarity and predictability" for businesses preparing for the end of 2026.

The deadlines did not move:

The Act is adopted, not yet in force. The European Parliament and Council now have a two-month scrutiny period. They can object. If they don't, it enters into force after that.

So the scope is settled in direction, but not yet final in law. Plan for it. Don't file against it until it lands.

The filing system got upgrades too. There is now a "Verify DDS" button to check a statement without creating a draft. There is an updated API for bulk submissions. And micro and small primary operators get simplified declarations.

If you trade timber: Nothing changes for you. Keep preparing for December. Your obligations are unchanged.

If you also handle leather or coffee: Check your product list this week. Some goods just changed status. One direction or the other.

If you run compliance: Test the new "Verify DDS" button on the practice server. Find the workflow now, before the year-end rush. Sources: European Commission — Commission updates product scope and tools to support EUDR | European Commission — Implementing Act establishing the technical rules for the EUDR Information System | Wood Central — EUDR Cuts Leather, Adds Coffee — But Wood and Paper Stay in Scope

Britain's Forest Research just published its official price indices. The data runs to March 2026. The story is a split.

Standing sales rose. The Coniferous Standing Sales Index gained 11.7% in real terms over the year. It reached £35.17 per cubic metre overbark.

But felled sawlogs fell hard. The Softwood Sawlog Index dropped 31% in real terms over six months. It sits at £55.30 per cubic metre, down from £77.55 a year earlier.

Why it matters: Standing trees and cut logs are moving apart. That gap is a margin squeeze travelling through the supply chain.

The takeaway: If you sell standing timber, you held value. If you process it, your input costs are falling — but so is the market beneath you. Source: Forest Research — Timber Price Indices (data to March 2026)

The European Commission adopted its first three carbon-farming methods on 9 July. They fall under the CRCF Regulation — the EU's rulebook for certified carbon removal.

One method covers afforestation. One covers peatland and wet-soil restoration. One covers farming and agroforestry on mineral soils.

Why it matters: This is the first working EU pathway to certify afforestation removals. Not a proposal. A usable rulebook.

The takeaway: European foresters planting new woodland now have an official EU route to certify the carbon. Watch for schemes to seek recognition next. Source: European Commission — Commission adopts certification methodologies for carbon farming under the CRCF Regulation

Central European spruce roundwood has come off its high. The benchmark grade BC 2b now trades at €120–125 per cubic metre. In March it topped €130.

Sawmills report better log supply and weaker demand. The packaging-wood index barely moved in June — up just 0.1%, after months of steady gains.

Why it matters: The spring price climb has stalled. Sawmills are well stocked and buying with less urgency.

The takeaway: If you sell spruce roundwood, the easy price gains are behind us for now. Read the room before your next contract. Source: Tacto — Wood Price Today: Price, Trends & Forecast 2026

The Forest Stewardship Council blocked four certificate holders on 7 July. All four are tied to false FSC claims in the birch plywood trade. The companies also refused to cooperate with auditors.

The names: Xuzhou Discover International, Xuzhou Huayu Wood Industry, Xuzhou Shelter Import & Export, and Shelter Forest International Acquisition. The wider probe covers 78 certificate holders.

Why it matters: This is a direct due-diligence signal. Anyone buying birch plywood on FSC claims needs to check their chain.

The takeaway: Verify your birch plywood suppliers against the FSC block list. A certificate claim is not the same as a valid certificate. Source: FSC — FSC blocks four companies in the birch plywood supply chain

Run a five-minute EUDR scope check on your own products.

Most of this readership sells timber. For you, the answer is simple: nothing changed, keep going. But if you touch leather or coffee too, this week's decision moved your line. Find out now.

The next time someone asks why you cut trees, you'll have thirty seconds to answer.

Right now — what do you say?

If the answer isn't ready, the Playbook is.

We launched the Forest-Investment Dictionary two weeks ago. I wrote it with Danish forest economist Anders Tærø Nielsen. It has 151 pages, 11 chapters, 14 printable tools, and 3 calculators. Investors learn to read a forest. Foresters learn to read a term sheet.

When the EUDR scope shifts under your feet, the difference between a good decision and a bad one is often just shared language. That's what this book builds. The price is €99. Get yours below.

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Until Thursday!

Wish you all the best: Peter

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