Brussels, 4 May 2026 — COTANCE welcomes the European Commission's proposal to exclude hides, skins and leather from the scope of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products (EUDR).
The exclusion was proposed on 4 May, 2026 through a Draft Delegated Act - aiming to amend Annex I of the EUDR — a targeted legal instrument that allows the Commission to adjust the regulation's product scope without reopening the legal text. The official Delegated Act will enter into force by summer, after a 4 weeks public consultation period.
For the European leather industry, this is more than just a regulatory adjustment. It is the formal recognition of a position COTANCE has held, and defended with evidence, since the regulation's inception: hides, skins and leather are merely by-products of the meat and dairy industries. They do not drive cattle farming. They do not drive deforestation. Their inclusion in the EUDR was never grounded by a dedicated impact assessment — and their exclusion is a straightforward act of regulatory proportionality.
This outcome reflects a sustained, evidence-based regulatory policy and advocacy effort by COTANCE. It vindicates the principle that good regulation must be fair, proportionate and grounded in scientific evidence.
A decision grounded in evidence
COTANCE and European tanners are not opposed to the EUDR’s objective. However, we believe - and provide substantial technical evidence in support of this view - that bovine hides are not a driving factor of cattle farming and therefore cannot be considered a cause of deforestation.
The European leather industry has never tried to escape environmental accountability. What it has sought — consistently, and from the outset — is regulation that is proportionate, properly assessed, and grounded in fact.
Recognising that a dedicated impact assessment - foreseen by the original text of EUDR in Art. 34 - for leather had not been conducted, COTANCE and UNIC commissioned an independent academic study to provide the evidence the debate required. The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies at the University of Pisa carried out the research — drawing on over 94 million data records, 29,200 active serial titles, 330,000 books, and 28 stakeholder interviews — and reached a conclusion: there is no scientific evidence linking leather to deforestation.
Leather derives from the tanning of raw hides that are a by-product of the meat and dairy industries, it does not drive cattle farming, and it does not drive land-use decisions. Keeping it in the EUDR product scope would not directly save a single tree — but it would disrupt supply chains, increase compliance costs, and risk shifting production to regions with significantly weaker environmental standards. Inclusion in the EUDR would not advance the regulation's objectives.
This finding is independently reinforced by research from Montana State University, which established that leather demand has no measurable influence on cattle hide supply — confirming that leather and beef operate as distinct economic drivers.
A united global industry voice
In the weeks leading up to this decision, the global leather industry — from the United States to Australia, Africa and New Zealand — united under the International Council of Tanners, with the support of the International Meat Secretariat and the International Union of Hides, Skins and Leather Trade Associations, to address a joint letter to President von der Leyen and the European Commission, calling for the removal of HS Chapter 41 products from Annex I.
“Today's European Commission saved more 30 000 jobs across European tanneries and sent a clear signal to the world: the leather industry is not a problem to be regulated away — it is a solution to be invested in. The European leather industry is the innovation edge of a global sector, producing the most sustainable and technically advanced leather in the world. This outcome allows us to keep our focus where it belongs: on the future" said Manuel Rios, President of COTANCE.
Edoardo De Paola, Secretary General of COTANCE, added : “This is a historic moment for the tanning industry. The Commission has rectified a fundamental flaw that has existed since the EUDR proposal was first put forward, confirming what logic has long suggested: converting a by-product of livestock into leather does not drive deforestation. Since biblical times, leather has symbolized the transformation of a natural by-product into something useful and enduring. Today, this legacy continues.”
"This is fantastic news! Thanks to all the perseverance and support received from the global leather industry, convincing the Commission that leather is not a driver of deforestation was a collective movement and therefore also a collective achievement!" - said Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano, former Secretary General, COTANCE
COTANCE's commitment to traceability remains unchanged
COTANCE wishes to be clear: this outcome does not diminish the industry's commitment to responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency. COTANCE will continue its work on securing the official CEN recognition of the Leather Traceability Cluster standard EN 18199. The industry's ongoing investment in traceability infrastructure (e.g. Hide Eco Track by LINEAPELLE-UNIC) reflects a genuine commitment to accountability.
European tanners operate under some of the most stringent environmental and social standards in the world. COTANCE's European Social and Environmental Report, its Code of Conduct, and its active participation in EU skills and sustainability initiatives demonstrate an industry that takes its responsibilities seriously — and that will continue to do so.
Official communication from the European Commission:
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/delegated-act-and-staff-working-document-list-relevant-eudr-commodities-and-products_en
Download the Press Release here
Contact
In case of any additional questions or inquiries, please contact the COTANCE Secretariat at