The undersigned organisations representing Europe’s press and book sectors, fully support the objectives of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). However, both the Regulation and the recent Commission simplification proposal still include finished printed products such as books, newspapers and magazines within their scope—despite these products posing no risk of driving deforestation. This unjustified inclusion, which goes against the Commission’s original EUDR proposal, threatens the sustainability of sectors that are the backbone of Europe’s democratic, cultural and information ecosystems. The plenary vote on Wednesday, 26 November offers a crucial opportunity to correct this misunderstanding, and we ask for your support.

Amendment 65 provides a necessary and proportionate solution by restoring the scope originally proposed by the Commission in 2021 and excluding finished printed products—whose very nature places them outside the logic of the EUDR—from Annex I.