EIBF celebrates historic victory as books are excluded from the EUDR

EIBF celebrates historic agreement: printed products — including books — to be excluded from the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

The European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) celebrates today’s provisional agreement between the Council and the European Parliament to correct the EUDR and remove printed products — such as books, newspapers and magazines — from its scope.

This landmark agreement reflects a clear understanding of the particular nature of books and printed media, which do not present a deforestation risk given that the vast majority are already produced using certified, recycled and sustainably sourced paper. It also recognises the extensive advocacy efforts by EIBF, together with a broad coalition of Europe’s book, magazine and newspaper publishers. Furthermore, this agreement is a testament to the mobilisation of thousands of booksellers across Europe, who — encouraged by EIBF — reached out to their national governments and Members of the European Parliament and made their voices heard. Legislators have acknowledged that applying full due-diligence obligations to printed products would have created disproportionate and unnecessary burdens for the sector, with consequences for the wider book ecosystem, including libraries and educational institutions, and for cultural diversity across Europe.

The book sector remains fully committed to further improving its environmental footprint. Today’s acknowledgment of the unintended impact the original EUDR scope could have had on cultural diversity is an important encouragement, giving our sector the clarity and confidence to continue investing proactively in sustainable practices.

Acknowledging the key success for books and cultural diversity, EIBF President Fabian Paagman remarked: 

“This agreement is a profound victory for Europe’s cultural and knowledge-based sectors. It shows that environmental protection and cultural access go hand in hand. By enabling books to continue circulating freely, we strengthen Europe’s pluralism, our bookshops and citizens’ access to information and ideas — while continuing to advance the sector’s commitment to sustainability. This decision also recognises the sector’s ongoing efforts to further improve its sustainability, giving us confidence to continue building a greener future for books. We now call on all EU institutions to confirm this necessary correction and ensure its swift and full implementation.”

With this decision, the EU safeguards both forests and citizens’ access to literature, cultural diversity and knowledge. We now await the formal confirmation of the agreement by both the Council and the European Parliament, and trust that this process will proceed swiftly and without delay.