The European Parliament held a discussion in Brussels on 8 April 2026 on whether leather should be included in the EU Deforestation Regulation EUDR. The meeting was led by Dario Nardella and brought together the European leather industry and European Commission representatives.

The discussion also included delegates from Canada, USA, Sweden, India, Australia, Vietnam, Japan and Brazil along with Members of the European Parliament, scientists, tanners and NGOs.

The meeting came at a key time as the European Commission prepares the EUDR Delegated Act expected by the end of April, which will revise the list of products under its scope.

Participants said leather is not a driver of deforestation and its inclusion in the regulation was done without a proper impact assessment. Research from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and global industry data supported this view.

Concerns were raised that farmers are not interested in following EUDR rules based on raw hide sales, which account for only about 1.4% of the value of a bovine carcass.

Industry leaders also pointed out the risk of pushing European production outside the EU, disrupting global value chains and creating millions of tonnes of waste if hides and skins are not processed into leather. They said this is not just a regulatory trade issue but a matter of science, coherence and common sense.

“For Tuscany, this sector means jobs, families, and communities. I am here in Brussels to defend it. Leather and hides must be excluded from Annex I of the EUDR. Not because we are against forest conservation, but because a good law must target those truly responsible for deforestation, not those who transform waste into a circular and durable material.”

– Dario Nardella, MEP, S&D Group

“We have been explaining this for years: leather is not a driver of deforestation the science is clear, from Pisa and many other studies. If implemented as it stands, the EUDR will not change deforestation it will push European tanneries out of business, shift production elsewhere and accelerate consolidation where only large players survive. In the end, we risk losing SMEs, distorting markets, and exporting both production and impact outside Europe without solving the problem the regulation is meant to address.”

– Fabrizio Nuti, President, UNIC – Italian Tanneries

The discussion ended with a clear message as the Delegated Act decision approaches, industry stakeholders are pushing for evidence based policymaking before final changes are made.