NSPA's position on the European Deforestation Regulation
Forests are a crucial natural resource in the Northern Sparsely Populated (NSPA) regions. The areas that the NSPA includes have a long history of sustainable forestry, and the forest sector has a central role in the national economies as well as contributing to the climate ambitions of the EU and the European bioeconomy.
On the 11th of September 2025, the NSPA adopted a position paper on the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that called for the EU Commission to withdraw and revise the deforestation regulation.
The NSPA agrees with the overall objectives of the EUDR and does not want products that come from deforestation to reach the market, however the NSPA emphasise that the regulation must consider regional and local prerequisites.
In total, the position paper provides three key objections from the NSPA:
- Need for revision. The NSPA believes that the regulation places a disproportionate administrative burden on forest owners and companies, even though forestry in the regions is conducted sustainably and does not contribute to deforestation. The administrative burden risks undermining the regions' ability to contribute to the EU's bioeconomy.
- Lack of legislative clarity. The NSPA believes that the legislation lacks sufficient legislative clarity, which creates uncertainty and risks leading to legal disputes. The existing guidance documents are considered insufficient, and this may reduce the willingness to invest in the EU's bio-based sector.
- Conflicts with food security and nature restoration. The NSPA aims to contribute to the EU's strategic food security and believes that it should be permitted to cut down trees in order to restore pastureland, arable land, or to build the necessary infrastructure for animal husbandry. The NSPA believes that these measures can contribute both to the EU's food security and to its nature restoration requirements, but that the Deforestation Regulation does not currently allow for this.
With this position, the NSPA emphasises the role of the regions in a sustainable European bioeconomy and believes that the EU can create a deforestation-free future without compromising either nature or the competitiveness of the EU's biobased companies.
What is the EUDR?
The EU's deforestation regulation aims to combat trade in products that contribute to deforestation and forest destruction. The purpose of the regulation has broad support among member states, but there has been widespread criticism and concern about its practical implementation. The regulation covers products such as cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soybeans, and wood, which means that both the forestry and agricultural sectors are directly affected. The EUDR is scheduled to take effect on December 30th 2025, but a postponement of the implementation date is currently under debate.
Read the full position here
Read more about the EUDR here