EUDR - Television at Jacobs GmbH

Click here to view full video – ARD/Hessenschau

On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, television visited Jacobs. The topic was the EUDR, the European Deforestation Regulation.

Prompted by Michael Jacobs' contact with Minister Penz (MdL), responsible for debureaucratisation at all political levels, and the resulting contact with Ms Schneider as a member of the European Parliament, Hessian television visited Jacobs GmbH.

In an interview, Mr. Jacobs criticized the enormous bureaucratic costs resulting from the law. Geodata acquisition, software programming, employee training, and staff deployment are only a portion of the costs. Small and medium-sized businesses are naturally disproportionately affected by this. Even a slight delay for small and medium-sized businesses won't help, Jacobs continued, as Jacobs' major clients naturally demand this data immediately.

Unfortunately, all this bureaucratic effort results in no results. The law is pure greenwashing, Jacobs continues. Not a single tree will be saved as a result. Large companies and multinational corporations can provide all the geodata the EU would like. Of course, the South American cattle, for example, that are marketed in the EU, whether as meat or hide, all come from areas that have not been deforested. As of today, four months before the introduction of the already postponed law, there is still no real difference between the countries.

The mere fact that skin is affected by the EUDR defies all logic, Michael Jacobs continues in the interview. Skin is a waste product from the meat industry, accounting for approximately 2% of the animal's body weight.

This recycled product is transformed through many processes (over 50) in an upcycling process into a high-quality and, above all, long-lasting and thus, in the best sense, ecological product, Jacobs continues.

In addition, finished leather products imported into the EU are not affected. What is the EU's message here? Produce abroad, but please not in the EU?

For the economy, this represents a further obstacle and disadvantage in international business transactions.

The law should actually be repealed completely. However, for political reasons, this will certainly not happen. If we achieve even just a reduction in bureaucratic costs, then my political commitment will have already been worthwhile, Michael Jacobs continued. Sofie, the third generation at Jacobs, who has embraced independence and responsibility with great joy and commitment, wants to focus on what defines entrepreneurship: great products combined with outstanding service for the benefit of customers.