The European Parliament recently hosted a high-level workshop examining the role of the leather industry in deforestation, amid ongoing discussions around the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The event, titled “EUDR: Is Leather a Driver of Deforestation? – Bringing Facts to the European Parliament”, was organised by Italian MEP Salvatore De Meo (EPP) in collaboration with the European leather industry associations Cotance and UNIC.
More than 50 stakeholders attended in person, including representatives from international governments (United States, Argentina, Turkey and Australia), EU Member States, the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament as well as industry experts and representatives from leather companies and tanneries.
The workshop aimed to inform EU policymakers as they revise Annex I of the EUDR, which currently includes leather among products subject to traceability requirements intended to combat global deforestation.
At the centre of the discussion was a study conducted by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (University of Pisa), which reviewed existing academic literature and industry data. According to the study, no direct causal link was found between leather production and deforestation. While leather is a byproduct of cattle farming, the study argues that cattle are primarily raised for meat and dairy, and hides are a secondary output that does not drive farming decisions.
Several participants expressed concern that the inclusion of leather in the EUDR could have unintended economic and environmental consequences. Industry representatives argued that traceability requirements may be impractical for non-EU suppliers, who provide approximately 40% of the EU’s raw material needs. They warned that disruption to this supply could affect the broader value chain and result in job losses.
MEP Salvatore De Meo said: “We all want to curb deforestation, but it is not helping the credibility of EU legislation if it sets up measures that have no real effect on the environment while they stifle the competitiveness of EU industry.”
The event comes ahead of the European Commission’s planned review of the EUDR’s scope. Industry groups are calling for hides, skins, and leather to be excluded from the regulation, citing concerns over economic viability, global supply chain impacts and potential environmental trade-offs.
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