Leather hides
- The EU’s flagship supply chain law, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), is once again under threat. While the law is set to be enforced from 30 December 2025, the EU Commission has said it is considering delaying it by another 12 months – and possibly even watering it down. The Commission has also announced it is considering broader "simplification” of environmental regulations through an omnibus deregulation law
- In this context, some actors in the leather industry have been lobbying for leather to be removed from the regulation’s scope – falsely claiming that traceability is too burdensome and that leather is not a driver of deforestation
- The Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community (COTANCE), the International Council of Tanners (UK), Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie e.V (Germany) and Faeda (an Italian tannery) all made submissions to the European Commission’s environmental omnibus consultation calling for leather to be removed from the EUDR
- An exemption would allow the leather sector to avoid accountability. Numerous investigations – including our own Hidden Price of Luxury – have exposed how EU leather supply chains remain tainted by deforestation and human rights abuses. The EUDR includes leather for a reason
- In a new joint statement, ten environmental and human rights organisations – including Earthsight – draw attention to some of the industry-promoted myths about leather and deforestation and highlight why it is important for leather hides to be covered by the EUDR
Leather and the EUDR - responses to claims of the leather industry
The undersigned organisations have prepared this document to challenge six false claims made by the industry and present evidence to support leather’s continued inclusion in the law. Our position is summarised here, with more detailed analysis to be found in the briefing linked below.
