The European Commission has published a simplification review and technical amendments to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), including proposed changes to Annex I. In response, Euroseeds has submitted a letter to the Commission on the Draft Act.
Euroseeds has consistently called for soybean seeds for sowing to be excluded from the scope of the EUDR. While the Commission acknowledged this request for further analysis, seeds for sowing remained within scope in the December 2025 update.
While the Regulation is intended to address commodities associated with deforestation, Euroseeds argues that soybean seeds for sowing are part of a distinct, highly regulated value chain that does not drive land-use change or deforestation. Their inclusion would impose disproportionate administrative and financial burdens on the seed sector, particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), without making a meaningful contribution to the Regulation’s environmental objectives.
In its letter, Euroseeds also underlines that applying the EUDR to seeds for sowing could restrict access to breeding material, hinder innovation, and weaken EU efforts to strengthen domestic plant protein production.
Euroseeds has therefore called on the European Commission to introduce a targeted legal clarification or amendment exempting certified soybean seeds for sowing from the scope of the Regulation.
