Written question – Information on the EU Deforestation Regulation’s benchmarking system – E-002231/2025

Question for written answer  E-002231/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Alexander Bernhuber (PPE)

As part of the impact assessment regarding Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation, in Annex 3 the cost estimate for the benchmarking system is given as EUR 337 000, with annual operating costs to the tune of EUR 168 000.

• 1.What have the actual costs of developing and deploying the benchmarking system been since the work began, and what will the running costs be?
• 2.To what extent and why do the actual costs differ from the estimates originally provided in the impact assessment?
• 3.Which companies/institutes or external individuals have been and are involved in the preparation of the benchmarking system, and what were their respective fees?

Submitted: 4.6.2025