The EU definition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains aligned with the EU’s general SME classification:
• Medium enterprise: Fewer than 250 employees and ≤ €50 million turnover (or ≤ €25 million balance sheet)
• Small enterprise*: Fewer than 50 employees and ≤ €10 million turnover (or ≤ €5 million balance sheet)
• Micro enterprise: Fewer than 10 employees and ≤ €900,000 annual turnover (or ≤ €450,000 balance sheet total)
On 26 November 2025, the European Parliament supported a delay for small and micro primary operators, setting a new compliance date of 30 June 2027 for non-timber products. This is six months after the proposed 30 December 2026 date for large and medium operators.
Important:
This change is not yet legally binding. It will only take effect once trilogue negotiations conclude and the final legal text is adopted and published in the EU’s Official Journal.
