Ukraine is classified as a low-risk country under the EU Deforestation Regulation

The European Commission has published a risk classification of countries under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will enter into force for large companies from 30 December 2025 and for small and micro enterprises from 30 June 2026. Ukraine, along with all 27 EU countries, the US, China, Australia and Canada, has been given the status of “low risk”.

This classification determines the level of checks for companies importing agricultural products such as cocoa, coffee, soybeans, palm oil and beef. For low-risk countries, simplified due diligence requirements apply, which only involve collecting information without the need for risk assessment and mitigation. The “high risk” category includes Belarus, Myanmar, North Korea and Russia, while the other countries fall into the standard category.

The decision has drawn criticism, notably from Malaysia (which is classified as a “standard risk” category, which imposes stricter due diligence requirements on exporters, particularly of palm oil), which has called the classification of all EU countries as low-risk “a show of favouritism”. Dato’ Carl Beck-Nielsen, chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, said: “The European Commission knows that our experience in this area is better than some European countries, but it has given its members low-risk status.”

Despite the different categories, all countries are required to comply with the Regulation by providing geolocation data to prove that products do not come from areas where forests have been cleared since 2020.

Tags: EU, soybean, Malaysia, Beef cattle, palm oil, deforestation, cocoa, Ukraine