On Wednesday 22 January, Leather Cluster Barcelona together with AcexPiel attended the online information session on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Under the title “Get ready to comply with the EUDR: update and key points for companies”, the webinar was organised by SGS.

SGS is the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. Recognised as the global benchmark for quality and integrity, SGS employs almost 100,000 people worldwide and has a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories.

AcexPiel and Leather Cluster Barcelona took part in the session with the aim of gaining a detailed understanding of the obligations imposed by the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). In this way, Acexpiel and Leather Cluster Barcelona renew their commitment to guiding and supporting the leather sector in the transition towards compliance with the EUDR Regulation, strengthening their role of support and advice to member companies. At a training session organised by SGS, both organisations highlighted the importance of gaining a thorough understanding of the European requirements, of sharing best practices in sustainability and of working together to ensure that the leather industry continues to move forward responsibly and competitively.

In this information webinar given by Luis Prior, Forestry Chief Operating Officer of SGS Spain, the main aspects of the regulation were reviewed.

During the session, a theoretical overview of the regulation was provided, covering the obligations, those required to comply with them and the general framework of application. Also covered were the priority actions for the companies affected, as well as recommendations on strategies for adapting the supply chain and complying with the regulation.

However, practical aspects still remain to be defined, especially as regards the platform that will be used to guarantee compliance with the established requirements.

We hope that, in future sessions, tools and practical guidance will be provided to facilitate adaptation to this new regulatory framework, which “a priori” will come into force on 1 January 2026.

It is worth recalling that on 29 October 2024, at the Adoberia Bella, Leather Cluster Barcelona organised an information, analysis and discussion session on regulatory challenges and their impact on the leather industry, and on possible collaborations between Leather Cluster Barcelona members to address them jointly.

Led by the experts in environmental management and sustainability Xavier Marginet, of Projecte Fontanellas i Martí, and Diego Navarro, of Curtidos Badia, the session opened with a detailed presentation on the new European Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR).

Leather is one of the derived products listed in Annex 1 of the EU Deforestation Regulation, even though there is no evidence that it is a driver of deforestation, as demonstrated by the recent study commissioned by UNIC and COTANCE and carried out by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of the University of Pisa (Italy). Following these findings, COTANCE and other sector organisations have stepped up their efforts to have leather excluded from the regulation, arguing that its inclusion lacks a scientific basis and could have negative effects on the European tanning industry, which already complies with high standards of sustainability and traceability.

With the aim of keeping its members informed of the latest developments, Leather Cluster Barcelona, together with other leather industry associations such as AcexPiel, is working actively to obtain detailed and up-to-date information on compliance with the EUDR regulation.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is an environment of competitive cooperation for promoting cross-cutting and transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the leather sector within the framework of Shared Value policies. The cluster is an accredited body within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the backing of Acció.