Impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) on nine Mediterranean countries – Workshop

15–16 October 2025, Barcelona – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in partnership with the European Forest Institute (EFI) and with the support of the German Development Cooperation through GIZ, is organizing a two-day workshop on 15–16 October 2025 at the UfM premises in Barcelona to present the results of a scoping study assessing the impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) on nine Mediterranean countries, namely Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.

This workshop aims to shed light on the implications, preparedness, and impact of the EUDR in regions where the regulation’s effects remain largely hidden and unexplored, especially for actors who serve as intermediaries — often responsible for the processing of commodities under the EUDR.

To frame the discussion, the EUDR is a groundbreaking regulation designed to combat deforestation not only in Europe but worldwide. It prohibits the entry of seven key commodities — cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, wood, and their derived products — into the EU market unless they can be proven deforestation-free, legally produced in the country of origin, and backed by full due diligence.

As part of its commitment to this goal, the UfM, in partnership with EFI, commissioned a study to assess the regulation’s impact in the eastern and eastern and southern Mediterranean region. Building on the consultations that informed this study, the workshop will:

• Present the study’s findings and communicate them to stakeholders.
• Clarify EUDR requirements and participants’ responsibilities, particularly their role as intermediaries.
• Address the complexity of traceability, the core challenge for compliance.
• Highlight practical solutions, including certification schemes and private-sector readiness.
• Foster collaboration among academia, private-sector representatives, government, and international organizations.

The workshop will bring together academics, private-sector representatives such as chambers of commerce, regional and international institutions, and representatives of governmental authorities such as ministries.

Sessions will be delivered by experts from EFI alongside partners such as Preferred by Nature, competent authorities, and certification bodies. Each will provide targeted training on traceability, supply chains, intermediary roles, and responsibilities toward the EU market, which is undergoing a radical shift to support its sustainability strategy and fight forest degradation and deforestation.

This workshop will go beyond presentations and use interactive sessions, group exercises, and practical applications to prepare Mediterranean actors to actively engage in safeguarding forests beyond Europe’s borders.

The event will serve as both a platform for knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and a forum for countries to voice their concerns, facilitating a smoother and better-supported transition towards compliance.