LIBER Response – Printed Materials Excluded from EUDR

The Hague, December 12 – The EU agreed to exclude certain printed materials, including books, magazines, and newspapers, from the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). LIBER welcomes this agreement, recognising its significance in promoting equitable access to academic knowledge and information.

Following the European Parliament’s vote for targeted revision of EUDR on 26 November, a political agreement was reached with the European Council on 4 December. In the lead-up to the agreement, LIBER engaged with EU Members of Parliament and Permanent Representatives, expressing our concerns regarding the inclusion of printed cultural and scholarly materials within the scope of the regulation. We emphasised that this approach could hinder international publishers’ ability to enter into the EU market, ultimately reducing the diversity of information available in library collections.

We are pleased about the decision to exclude specific printed materials from the regulation, a step that helps safeguard the public’s right to access knowledge and supports the long-term preservation of scholarly works in the digital age.

This is an important step towards a revised regulation that considers access to knowledge, cultural exchange, and academic diversity.

President of LIBER, Julien Roche

In this process, LIBER collaborated with KBb – the Dutch Booksellers Association (De Koninklijke Boekverkopersbond), UKB – the Dutch Partnership of University and National Libraries (Universiteitsbibliotheken & Nationale Bibliotheek), GAU – the Dutch General Publishers Group (Groep Algemene Uitgevers), Erasmus Boekhandel, and EIBF – the European and International Booksellers Federation. With our partners in the Netherlands and internationally, we continue our work towards fair access to knowledge and scholarship.