The European Union Deforestation Regulation

Broken Keys Publishing
Sep 21
2 min read

In early 2024, Broken Keys Publishing launched our Sustainable Publishing Green Initiative, and were acknowledged for our efforts by The Ottawa Award for Best Green Initiative 2025.

Our endeavour was partially to focus efforts to sustain and maintain a healthy environment, and partially to educate the benefits of print over electronic e-books, and to correct many myths and misinformation. (E-books DO NOT help the environment, while printed books breathe oxygen into the atmosphere).

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) entered into force in June 2023, requires companies to prove that products sold in or exported from the EU are deforestation-free. Although the regulation covers commodities like cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, and soy, the primary area of concern for us is wood, or more specifically, paper.

Compliance with the EUDR is mandatory, and the date of application was officially set for December 30, 2025, for large and medium-sized companies, which will not affect us directly, but will affect some of our contractors and subcontractors. The later deadline of June 30, 2026, for small and micro-enterprises will affect us, and failure to comply can result in severe penalties, including financial fines, seizure of products, and market bans.

The aim of this regulation only further supports our Sustainable Publishing position, in that its goal is the prevention of deforestation by ensuring products sold in the EU are deformation-free and comply with relevant environmental and human rights standards.

As it is mentioned on our Sustainable Publishing page, the practice of Sustainable Forest Management helps sequester carbon, and fights the effects of climate change, and contribute towards the reduction of carbon footprints and global warming. Sustainable Forest Management is the polar opposite of de-forestation and stands in 100% compliance and partnership with the EUDR's goals. It is an initiative we fully support.

We want to assume you that we are taking this regulation very seriously. We are also working closely with our suppliers and industry partners to better understand the specific regulations and to adapt our processes accordingly if and where needed.

Are you ready to change the world? Support Sustainable Publishing. Look for the Sustainable Publishing logo on your favourite printed book titles. You can frequent bookshops that support Sustainable Publishing - The Book's Better Bookshop and Westboro Books.