European Commission confirms cowhide exclusion from EUDR

The European Commission has officially confirmed that cowhide, at all stages of processing, will be excluded from the scope of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) following the publication of a delegated act on 13 July.

The decision follows a draft proposal released on 4 May, which underwent a public consultation process until 1 June. The exclusion marks a significant development for the European leather industry, which has consistently argued that bovine hides are a by-product of the meat industry and should not be subject to the regulation.

The delegated act will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for a two-month scrutiny period. While Parliament has the option to request an extension, such a move is considered unlikely.

If no objections are raised by 13 September, the delegated act will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, formally confirming that bovine hides will remain outside the EUDR's scope.

The decision has been welcomed by UNIC – Concerie Italiane, the Italian Tanners' Association, and COTANCE, the European confederation representing national leather tanning associations. Both organizations have long advocated for the exclusion of bovine hides from the EUDR, describing the move as an important step toward ensuring regulatory clarity and safeguarding the competitiveness of Europe's leather sector.