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Mondelēz International wants a delay to EU deforestation law

As the leading global confectionery giant calls for a postponement, is the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) about to be delayed again?

Mondelēz International, the global confectionery and snacks company behind brands like Cadbury, Oreo, and Ritz, is calling for a further extension of the European Union Deforestation Regulation’s (EUDR) implementation date.

Set for December 2025 for large companies and 2026 for small-to-medium businesses (SMEs), the European Commission has already pushed back the introductory date of the law by a year, from 2024 to 2025, following industry demands for more time for its arrival. Companies producing and using cocoa, coffee, beef, soy, and palm oil (commodities that the EUDR places stipulations on) urged for further clarification on the regulation’s exact requirements to enable them to prepare effectively.

However, Mondelēz’s request for further postponement appears to echo ongoing concerns around the EUDR and its requirements since it was first outlined in 2019 in Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests.

Countries and companies have urged the Commission for a deeper understanding of the far-reaching implications of the deforestation law.

Cadbury-creating confectioner calls for delay at crunch time

With five months to go until the postponed EUDR implementation date, Mondelēz is urging a further one-year delay to its arrival. Speaking at the European Parliament in June 2025, the company’s vice president of corporate and government affairs for Europe, Massimiliano Di Domenico, called for more time to prepare for the law amid ongoing cocoa supply chain issues and compliance concerns.

Massimiliano Di Domenico affirmed Mondelēz’s backing of the EUDR but said “successful implementation must reflect on-the-ground realities, especially for smallholder farmers in the countries of origin”, posting his comments on LinkedIn.

“The cocoa sector is under huge pressure: soaring prices, declining production, and origin countries still scaling up digital capacity with clear implications for the whole value chain,” Di Domenico added.

Describing its “clear and ambitious objectives” that reflect its full support of the EUDR ambition, Di Domenico referred to Mondelēz’s Snacking Made Right sustainability framework and environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets.

The confectioner has set several goals for 2025 relating to ingredients, packaging, and social impact. It strives to source 100% of cocoa volume for chocolate volume through its Cocoa Life and cover all Cocoa Life communities in West Africa with Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems. Mondelēz also aims to lower virgin plastic by 5%, virgin rigid plastic by 25%, and have at least 98% of its packaging designed to be recyclable by 2025.

Mondelēz stated its calls for a delay to the EUDR’s implementation come amid the challenges the cocoa industry continues to face. “That’s why we are respectfully, transparently and responsibly calling for a 12-month delay—not to dilute ambition, but to enable practical, inclusive, and effective implementation,” said Di Domenico.

The company stated it is adopting this position to enable it to meet the EUDR’s requirements in full. “We cannot afford to compromise long-term sustainability goals with the many short-term implementation gaps and lack of clarity,” Di Domenico added.

Confectioners continue to champion 2025 date

Other cocoa companies are detailing the actions they are taking and continuing to introduce ahead of the EUDR coming into force. A year ago, in July 2024, several other confectionery conglomerates, including Nestlé, Mars Wrigley, and Ferrero, showed their support for the EUDR’s arrival, Reuters reported.

International confectionery company Barry Callebaut has stated its commitment to developing end-to-end traceability ahead of the EUDR. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to achieving a sustainable and traceable cocoa and chocolate supply chain through “best-in-class sustainability”.

Chocolate manufacturer and supplier Luker Chocolate made 100% of its shipments to Europe EUDR-compliant in October 2024. The brand provides verifiable traceability and communicates evidence of zero deforestation or labour rights violations through its LukerTrace system.

Chocolate company Hames Chocolates announced they believe the EUDR’s arrival will result in more robust sourcing standards, elevated costs and compliance burdens, but also market opportunities and collaboration. Stating its commitment to sustainable sourcing, it has noted the SME’s deadline to be compliant with EUDR of 30th June 2026, stating “our supply chain expects to be ready for EUDR before this time”.