Tribal Nations say Commission failed to address disproportionate burdens on low-risk Tribal forestry

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Intertribal Timber Council (ITC) expressed deep disappointment following the European Commission's release of its EUDR simplification review, saying the package offers no meaningful relief for Indigenous Tribal Nations and leaves major concerns raised by Tribal forest managers unresolved.

Despite months of engagement from Tribal representatives and repeated warnings about unintended impacts on Indigenous communities, the Commission declined to reopen the regulation and instead proposed only limited technical adjustments through implementing acts, FAQs, and guidance documents.

As a result, compliance obligations affecting Tribal Nations in low-risk countries remain fundamentally unchanged.

"Tribal Nations are some of the most successful forest stewards in the world, yet the European Commission continues to treat Indigenous forestry systems as if they pose the same risks as regions experiencing active deforestation," said Cody Desautel, President of the Intertribal Timber Council and Executive Director of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. "That is not risk-based policymaking. It is a failure to recognize Indigenous governance, sustainable management, and sovereignty."

U.S. Tribal Nations manage 7.8 million hectares of forestland under sovereign governance systems supported by long-term management plans, active restoration practices, prescribed fire, and sustainable harvest standards designed to protect forests for future generations.

The ITC emphasized that Tribal Nations support the EU's goal of preventing global deforestation. However, the organization warned that the current EUDR framework is already disrupting U.S. forest product supply chains, even before full implementation begins in December 2026.

Wood entering EU markets in 2026 is being harvested now, and Tribal producers are already facing new compliance demands through downstream contracts and customer requirements.

"The paradox is impossible to ignore," Desautel said. "A law intended to protect forests is creating barriers for Indigenous peoples who have successfully protected forests for generations."

The ITC is calling on the European Commission to recognize Tribal forests in the United States as low-risk, legally protected systems; simplify geolocation requirements for Indigenous and low-risk forestry operations; establish temporary compliance flexibility during implementation; and engage in meaningful government-to-government consultation with Tribal Nations before final enforcement.

Established in 1976, the ITC is a nonprofit nation-wide consortium of Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and individuals dedicated to improving the management of natural resources of importance to Native American communities.

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