14 I SEED WORLD EUROPE I SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | OCTOBER 2026 Cardon says the seed sector has a strong SME footprint. “For many companies, the question was not whether they sup port deforestation free supply chains,” he says. “The question was whether highly technical obligations designed for commodity trade should be imposed on seed lots that do not drive deforestation risk.” Euroseeds had warned that additional compliance costs could delay seed market entry, disrupt planting schedules and reduce access to high quality seeds for farmers. Even small delays can matter in agriculture, where seasonal timing is everything. The Commission’s decision avoids that risk for soybean seeds for sowing, while keeping commodity soybeans within the EUDR scope. Branislava Popov, technical manager variety registration and seed marketing at Euroseeds Clément Cardon, manager public affairs at Euroseeds A QUESTION OF PROPORTION At its heart, the Euroseeds position was about proportionality. The association supports the environmental objective of the EUDR but argued that regulation should distinguish between products that carry deforestation risk and seed lots that are small, traceable and used for sowing. The Commission’s decision now reflects that distinction. It is not a loophole, but a way of aligning the regulation with its intended purpose. According to Cardon, the change should not be seen as weak ening the EUDR. “It is about making sure the regulation remains focused on where the deforestation risk actually lies,” he says. The Commission’s targeted clarification for certified soybean seeds for sowing protects the environmental objective, he adds, while avoid ing unnecessary burdens for breeders and seed companies. For the broader seed sector, the outcome is a reminder that product scope matters. The way a CN code is written can determine whether a regulation captures the right value chain or accidentally sweeps in a different one. “If Europe wants more protein crops, it needs a strong breed ing base and reliable access to seed,” says Popov. “Soybean seeds for sowing are part of the solution, not part of the deforestation problem.” The policy lesson is therefore straightforward: targeted tech nical corrections matter. In this case, the Commission has kept the EUDR focused on deforestation risk, while giving the seed sector greater clarity to support genetic diversity, innovation and Europe’s protein ambitions. WHAT THE COMMISSION CHANGED The European Commission has removed soya beans used for sowing from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation. In the Delegated Regulation adopted on 13 July 2026, the Commission states that soya beans used for sowing represent negligible trade volumes and are part of a separate value chain with distinct certification, testing and traceability systems. The legal change is made through Annex I of the EUDR. The broad entry “1201 Soya beans, whether or not broken” is deleted and replaced with “1201 90 00 Soya beans, whether or not broken: other.” In practice, this means commodity soybeans remain within the EUDR scope, while the sowing category is removed.
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