The Council of European Union adopted its negotiating mandate on a targeted revision of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR). The aim is to simplify the implementation of the existing rules and to postpone their application to allow operators, traders and authorities to prepare adequately. …The Council supports the Commission’s targeted simplification of the due diligence process. The Council also pushes to introduce a uniform one-year postponement of the application of the regulation for all operators, until 30 December 2026, with an extra six-month cushion for micro and small operators. …The mandate maintains and adds on the simplification measures originally proposed by the Commission, focusing on reducing administrative burdens while preserving the objectives of the regulation. …The Council will start negotiations with the European Parliament in order to reach a final agreement in the coming weeks and before the current EUDR becomes applicable as of 30 December 2025.