Mondelēz Lobbied EU Officials for Deforestation Rule Delay
The confectionery giant sought to postpone compliance requirements for cocoa supply chains until late 2026.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Consumer Goods
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Mondelēz International, owner of Cadbury and Oreo, engaged in a campaign to weaken or delay the European Union Deforestation Regulation. The lobbying efforts preceded a move to postpone the regulation's implementation date to December 31, 2026.
Why it matters
The company sought regulatory relief because it had not completed the necessary preparations to prove its cocoa supply chain was free of deforestation. This highlights the operational complexity for large food manufacturers attempting to meet strict environmental traceability standards.
Mondelēz invested between 1.2 million and 1.5 million euros (approximately $1.4 million to $1.7 million) in EU lobbying efforts since 2023. These activities supported a push for regulatory adjustments ahead of the final implementation delay.
The players
Mondelēz International
A global snacks manufacturer with a extensive portfolio including Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone, and Oreo.
Dirk Van De Put
The CEO of Mondelēz International who directed the company's engagement strategy with European regulators.
Andrew Puzder
The U.S. ambassador to the European Union who met with Mondelēz leadership in Brussels.
The details
Mondelēz coordinated high-level meetings in Brussels, including discussions between CEO Dirk Van De Put and the U.S. ambassador to the EU, Andrew Puzder. The company also lobbied national governments in France, Germany, Ireland, and Luxembourg to secure support for European Commission delay proposals. The regulation requires companies to verify that cocoa products are not sourced from land deforested after December 31, 2020.
Timeline
December 31, 2020: Cutoff date for non-deforested land under EUDR.
2023: Start of documented EU lobbying spending period.
July 2025: Mondelēz publicly called for a 12-month regulation delay.
June 2026: Mondelēz CEO met with U.S. ambassador in Brussels.
December 31, 2026: New implementation date for the EUDR.
Market Landscape
The effort to modify the European Union Deforestation Regulation follows a established pattern where major multinationals seek regulatory flexibility for supply chain mandates. This development reflects the significant friction between aggressive environmental traceability standards and existing global sourcing operations.
Operators in the cocoa and raw materials sectors should treat the December 2026 deadline as a final compliance window for deforestation mapping. Companies should use this delay to audit their traceability data against the 2020 cutoff requirements rather than relying on future regulatory shifts.
The takeaway
Large-scale traceability regulations require years of data infrastructure building, not just final-hour compliance. Audit your current supplier mapping now to ensure alignment with the 2020 non-deforestation cutoff date before the 2026 regulatory deadline.
Further reading
For more on industry shifts, see Consumer Goods.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mongabay.
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