Food Supply Chain Timeline
An interactive overview of key dates and milestones. Filter by tag below.
On 19 April 2023, the European Parliament formally adopted the EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) setting binding due diligence requirements on products linked to deforestation. This decision launched the EU's efforts to ensure commodities like cattle, soy, palm oil and wood entering the EU market are sourced from deforestation-free land.
The EU Deforestation Regulation officially became law on 29 June 2023. From that date, its provisions aimed at cutting the EU's global forest footprint by banning products from recently deforested land took effect, though compliance obligations for businesses began later.
On 4 December 2024, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3084 to set up the EUDR due diligence information system. This online registry enables operators to submit required deforestation-free certificates and compliance data, a key preparatory step before the regulation's enforcement.
EU negotiators agreed on 23 December 2024 to postpone the EUDR by one year. Under this adjustment, compliance obligations for large companies were rescheduled to 30 Dec 2025 (with small and micro-enterprises following by 30 June 2026), giving the supply chain additional time to prepare.
On 31 January 2025 the UK government confirmed that a UK-wide deposit return scheme for drinks containers will be introduced in October 2027. The scheme will cover plastic bottles and cans, adding a small refundable deposit to each to encourage consumers to return and recycle containers.
In April 2025, the UK implemented its revised Packaging EPR system. The new Producer Responsibility Obligations regulations placed the full cost of household packaging waste collection and recycling on producers, shifting the financial burden from local authorities and taxpayers to manufacturers and importers.
After the DRS regulations were finalized, the UK appointed a Deposit Management Organisation (scheme administrator) in April 2025. This industry-led not-for-profit entity of producers, retailers and stakeholders will manage the daily operation of the DRS, including the network of collection points and deposit processes.
By 30 June 2025, the European Commission will publish the official country risk classifications required by the EUDR. This implementing act ranks commodity producer countries as low/standard/ high/no risk of deforestation, guiding EU operators on how intensively to monitor and verify supply chains from each origin.
On 21 October 2025 the Commission proposed targeted updates to the EUDR to simplify compliance. Notably, the draft would delay obligations for very small businesses and introduce a six-month enforcement grace period for larger firms, among other technical adjustments to ease the regulatory burden.
From 30 December 2025, EU companies above the large-operator threshold must comply with the EUDR. Large traders and producers of covered commodities must now verify and document that their products are deforestation-free before placing them on the EU market.
The October 2025 proposal also suggests extending the deadline for micro-enterprises to 30 Dec 2026. If adopted, this change would give very small and small businesses an extra year (18 months from mid-2025) to adapt to the EUDR compliance obligations.
On 1 October 2027, the UK Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers goes live. Under the scheme, consumers pay a small deposit when buying plastic bottles and cans, which is refunded upon return of the empty container, significantly boosting recycling of beverage packaging.
The UK's new packaging EPR scheme includes a required evaluation in December 2028. This first scheme review will check whether producerfunded recycling has improved outcomes (e.g. higher recycling rates and reduced waste) as intended by the reform.