European DIY Retail Association
EDRA
EDRA/GHIN is an international facilitator in the world of home improvement.
ID: 018669250698-22
Lobbying Activity
Response to Proposal amending the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 as regards battery due diligence obligations
26 Jun 2025
The European DIY Retail Association (EDRA) is the voice for the home improvement industry in Europe. Today EDRA represents 140 home improvement companies in Europe either through its country associations or as direct members. Our members consider the EU Batteries Regulation as an important step in ensuring the circular economy for batteries becomes a reality across the supply chain, and our members are fully aligned on the need to mobilise the necessary investments to comply with its stringent due diligence requirements. EDRA welcomes the decision to delay implementation of Chapter VII of the Regulation, namely the due diligence requirement. Due diligence requires the establishment of systems to conduct risk assessments, identifying and mitigating potential adverse impacts, as well as implementing monitoring systems to track the flow of critical materials. Retailers will need to engage with suppliers to ensure compliance and transparency throughout the entire supply chain. At that stage, the system then needs to be verified by a notified body. Working with a notified body to attain verification will itself need several months to get right. At this stage, retailers and suppliers are unable to answer the many questions that establishing a properly functioning due diligence system demands. In the absence of any Notified Bodies being published, the supply chain will struggle to comply.
Read full responseResponse to European Affordable Housing Plan
30 May 2025
The European DIY Retail Association (EDRA) represents the voice of the home improvement sector across Europe. Our members strongly welcome the initiative to address the housing crisis at the European level. Given our close connection to consumers and households, we believe the home improvement sector has a distinctive and valuable role to play in shaping this important conversation. The severity of the housing crisis poses significant challenges, particularly for young people and low-income groups. The EU has an essential role to play in supporting Member States, not only by encouraging the exchange of good practices but also by working collaboratively to dismantle systemic barriers to housing access. Opportunities to promote building renovation, invest in training for skilled tradespeople, and create incentives for consumers to improve the resilience of their homes are areas where the home improvement sector can make a meaningful impact. Retailers also offer valuable insights into consumer behaviour and know what drives sustainable consumption in practice. EDRA urges the European Commission to champion a coordinated policy approach that bridges economic, social, and regulatory domains, both at the national and EU level. These efforts should reinforce resilience and renovation while respecting national competencies. Affordable housing is not just a social concern as it directly affects business continuity and the broader health of the economy. Retailers depend on a local workforce, and when employees are unable to live near their workplace or see their disposable income consumed by housing and transport costs, it undermines a stores ability to attract and retain staff with local knowledge and community ties. While responsibility for housing supply and affordability rests with Member States, we believe there is a clear case for greater alignment between national and EU policies. Promoting the exchange of best practices and fostering stronger policy complementarity can help harmonize and strengthen the collective European response to the housing crisis.
Read full responseMeeting with Róża Thun Und Hohenstein (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and EuroCommerce
23 Oct 2023 · Combating Late Payments Regulation
Response to The reporting obligations during the transitional period of the carbon border adjustment mechanism.
10 Jul 2023
Home improvement retailers are supportive of the EUs position that GHG emissions generated in non-EU countries are treated similarly to those generated within Europe. Given the interconnected nature of climate change and the need for global solutions to tackle it, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism brings a level playing field for EU manufacturers. Transition period 18 months minimum The transition period, during which importers are required to comply with a quarterly reporting requirement of their imported CBAM goods and embedded greenhouse gas emissions, is however, simply too short to adequately prepare our supply chain or internal systems. An 18 month period is the minimum period that our members would need in order to comply. Given the legislation was only adopted on 10 May 2023 and the delegated act setting out the transition period was only published on 13 June 2023 and has yet to be adopted, means that companies currently have no legal basis for the extensive and detailed obligations that take effect from 1 October 2023. As the levy will not be due until 2026, retailers would urge the Commission to consider a longer preparation period of at least 18 months - to put data sourcing in place across our entire sector, many of whom are SMEs. This would allow for a more accurate indication of CO2 emissions contained in the procured goods to emerge. Reporting Most companies will not be in possession of carbon emissions data or geodata from their suppliers based outside of the EU. In the short time available, it is simply unrealistic to obtain reliable data given the sheer number of supplier sites that will be involved. Supply chains are by their very nature, extremely complex, and are built up over long periods of time, involving numerous actors and processes. Requests for accurate information from production sites will be met with resistance from many operators, and it is simply not a question of switching suppliers in another region, as suppliers in all regions will be faced with the same challenges. Obtaining detailed information about production sites is not feasible for retailers sourcing from outside of the EU in this time frame. It is also questionable whether the information is even useful given the broader objectives of the CBAM Regulation. EDRA would also question the usefulness of the reporting requirements in stage 1 given customs authorities already receive detailed information on imports via electronic customs declarations. In addition, the methodology for calculating CO2 emissions in the emissions statement is far too complex and will hardly be applicable in practice. Default values It remains unclear in the current text in which cases "default values" can be used. Our view is default values should always be allowed as assumptions cannot be made that third country suppliers are technically capable of carrying out such complex calculations. We would urge that wording on the use of default values be revised. In order to even begin to meet the reporting requirements from Q4 2023, (provisional) default values must be published promptly by the Commission for all products and it must also be possible to enter these in the CBAM report for at least a transition period.
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