Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1093 of 22 May 2025 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards a list of countries that present a low or high risk of producing relevant commodities for which the relevant products do not comply with Article 3, point (a)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 ¹, and in particular Article 29(2) thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 lays down rules to minimise the Union’s contribution to deforestation and forest degradation worldwide by imposing due diligence obligations on operators and traders placing on, making available on, or exporting from the Union market relevant commodities and products, namely cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood.

• (2) The risk that products that are placed or made available on the market or exported are not deforestation-free varies depending on the commodity or product’s country of origin and production. Operators and traders sourcing commodities and products from countries or parts thereof that present a low risk of growing, harvesting or producing relevant commodities and products that do not comply with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 are to be subject to simplified due diligence obligationsin accordance with Article 13 of that Regulation.

• (3) All countries were assigned a standard level of risk upon entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. However, the Commission has to assess the risk of producing relevant commodities for which the relevant product does not comply with the condition of being deforestation-free at the level of a country or parts thereof and to classify and list the countries as high risk or low risk countries.

• (4) Member States and third countries or parts thereof are to be classified based on an objective and transparent assessment by the Commission, taking into account the latest scientific evidence and internationally recognised sources. The classification is to be based primarily on the latest quantitative internationally recognised data, as referred to in Article 29(3), points (a), (b) and (c), of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. The classification relies on the latest scientific evidence and internationally recognised data, primarily from the Global Forest Resources Assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The classification takes into account other criteria as listed in Article 29(4), points (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. The Annex to the Commission’s Communication on the Strategic Framework for International Cooperation Engagement in the context of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 outlines the general principles of the benchmarking methodology. It mentions that a large majority of countries worldwide will be classified as low risk, giving the opportunity to focus collective efforts and resources to protect forests in those geographic areas where deforestation challenges are more acute, creating achievable targets for countries that need improvement and reducing costs for operators.

• (5) The principles underlying the methodology have been set out in the Commission Staff Working Document (SWD). The document provides a detailed explanation of how the list has been established, in accordance with the principles outlined in Article 29 of Regulation EU 2023/1115 and in the Annex to the Commission’s Communication on the Strategic Framework for International Cooperation Engagement in the context of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. It specifies the nature and sources of the data used and the methodology for both quantitative and qualitative assessment. This ensures transparency, objectivity, and consistency with the Commission’s approach, thereby reinforcing the robustness and credibility of the outcome.

• (6) The classification is to serve as a basis for the risk-based approach whereby the competent authorities carry out checks on operators and traders covering the due diligence systems and the compliance of the relevant products with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 in accordance with Article 16(3) of that Regulation and to clarify in which cases operators and traders can make use of the simplified due diligence pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. The classification is also to be taken into account in operators and traders risk assessment pursuant to Article 10(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115.

• (7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the committee established by Article 36(1) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 22 May 2025,

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

ANNEX

List of countries which are considered to present low or high risk according to the assessment based on Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115:

Low risk countries

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Island, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen.

High risk countries

Belarus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Russian Federation.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1093/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)