EUDR Deadline for Coffee: Key Dates for Ethiopian Coffee Importers

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) has been postponed twice, so many roasters and importers are unsure which date now applies to their Ethiopian coffee. This page sets out the current dates, what changed in the December 2025 amendment, and where Ethiopia sits in the EU's country risk classification. It covers EU law only and was last reviewed on 15 October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice: check the official texts linked below for your own business.

When Does the EUDR Apply to Coffee?

• 30 December 2026: Large and medium-sized operators

  The EUDR applies to large and medium operators placing coffee on the EU market or exporting it. Downstream operators and traders also fall under this date, whatever their size.

• 30 June 2027: Micro and small operators

  Later application for natural persons and micro (and, per the Commission's summary, small) enterprises. The Commission's own summary words this slightly differently in different places, so check the regulation text for your company's category.

What Changed in the December 2025 Amendment

According to the European Commission's summary of Regulation (EU) 2025/2650, as well as moving the dates the amendment simplified the obligations further down the supply chain:

• Downstream operators and traders no longer submit their own due diligence statements. Instead they collect and keep the reference number of the initial statement filed by the operator who first placed the coffee on the market.
• Downstream operators and traders that are not SMEs do not file returns, but must register in the EU Information System.
• All operators, whatever their size, must collect and keep data on their suppliers and on the businesses they supply, for five years.

For an importer bringing Ethiopian green coffee into the EU, the core duty is unchanged: as the operator placing the coffee on the EU market, you still file the due diligence statement, backed by plot-level geolocation and legality evidence. Our EUDR compliance checklist splits that work between what PyraBrew supplies and what stays with you.

Is Ethiopia Low, Standard or High Risk?

The EU classifies producing countries by deforestation risk; the first classification was adopted through Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1093. The European Commission's country classification list places Ethiopia in the standard-risk category. Only four countries are classified as high risk: Belarus, North Korea, Myanmar and Russia.

The practical point for coffee buyers: simplified due diligence is only available when all the products come from low-risk countries. For Ethiopian coffee, operators carry out full due diligence, including a risk assessment and, where needed, risk mitigation. Shade-grown smallholder coffee does not change that legal status; what it changes is how easy it is to evidence a negligible risk, which is why plot-level data matters. Our EUDR compliance guide explains how PyraBrew documents each lot.

What Happened in 2026

In May 2026 the European Commission published a simplification review of the EUDR, presented as preparing for the regulation's entry into application by the end of 2026. Separately, the Commission states that the list of products in Annex I has been updated by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102. If your business handles coffee products other than green or roasted beans, check the updated Annex I for your product codes.

What to Do Before 30 December 2026

• Confirm whether your company is a large, medium, small or micro operator, and whether you act as an operator, downstream operator or trader for each flow of coffee.
• Ask every Ethiopian supplier for plot-level geolocation for lots that will be placed on the EU market after your application date, not only for future contracts.
• Set up your registration in the EU Information System and decide who in your business files statements.
• Set up a five-year record-keeping process for supplier and customer data.

PyraBrew compiles a due diligence evidence pack for every export lot, so buyers can file without chasing documents. For the full import process, see how to import coffee from Ethiopia, or contact us to request samples with documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Jurisdiction: European Union. Sources checked 15 October 2026.

• European Commission, Access2Markets: Delay until December 2026 and other developments in the implementation of the EUDR (28 January 2026)
• European Commission: Implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation
• European Commission: EUDR country classification list
• European Commission: EUDR cooperation and partnerships (country benchmarking)
• European Commission, Transition Pathways: Commission publishes simplification review of the EU Deforestation Regulation (May 2026)
• EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1115