Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
586. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will assess the impact of the EU deforestation regulation on the Irish book industry, particularly the requirement for importers to file due diligence statements for each title; if he will consider designating the relevant tariff code for printed books as ultra-low risk to reduce administrative burdens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73281/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EUDR aims to ensure that products consumed within the EU do not contribute to global deforestation and forest degradation. The Commodities that will be subject to the Regulation are rubber, oil palm, soy, wood, cattle, cocoa, and coffee.
Annex I of the regulation lists all of the products to which the EUDR applies. "Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry, manuscripts, typescripts and plans, of paper" were originally included on this list.
However, on December 17th the European Parliament adopted changes to the EUDR, which had already been informally agreed with Member States on 4th December. Among these amendments is the removal of printed products from the scope of this regulation. This is indeed a welcome amendment, and one I have been in support of since its proposal by the European Parliament, as communicated by my Department as part of the ongoing discussions at EU level. My department also met stakeholders representing this sector and has been acutely aware of their concerns.
I continue to advocate for simplifications at EU level, aiming to achieve optimal outcomes, without placing excessive burdens on small business or unnecessary disruption to supply chains.
