The European wood sector and EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the European wood sector in the context of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), examining how wood production, trade, and management across the EU intersect with environmental challenges and regulatory obligations. Europe’s forests cover 159 million hectares and play a crucial role in climate mitigation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Despite increasing forest area and biomass since the 1990s, the intensification of logging and decline of carbon sinks, linked to forest degradation, have raised concerns. The report highlights the structural and ownership dynamics in the sector, describes the evolution and changes from the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) to the EUDR, and why wood remains a central commodity, illustrating how industrial logging, often framed as sustainable, continues to threaten biodiversity, indigenous rights, and environmental integrity within Europe.

This report is part of AidEnvironment’s Compliance Checker initiative, and it has been produced thanks to the support of the European Climate Foundation.