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European Commission wants to postpone the law against deforestation by a year

by AI | 03.Oct 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The European Commission wants to postpone the entry into force of the new law against deforestation by a year until the end of 2025. Smaller companies would have time until mid-2026.

A burned and deforested area in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil

The new regulation against deforestation should come into force by the end of this year. The law prohibits the import of products originating from land that has been deforested since the beginning of 2021. This includes palm oil, beef, wood, coffee, cocoa, rubber, soy, and a number of derivative products, such as chocolate, furniture, printing paper, and a range of palm oil derivatives. Importers must ensure the traceability of these products.

In recent weeks, member states such as Germany, but also important trading partners such as the United States and Brazil, had raised the alarm and requested additional time. Their plea is now heard. The Commission proposes to apply the law to large companies from December 30, 2025, and to small companies from June 30, 2026.

“With this step, the Commission wishes to provide certainty about the path to follow and ensure the success of the deforestation regulation, which is of the utmost importance for the European contribution to the urgent global issue of deforestation,” the Commission stated in a press release on Wednesday. “The proposal for a postponement in no way questions the objectives and content of the law,” it assures.

The member states and the European Parliament still need to approve the postponement. In the chamber, the left reacted disappointed to the news. According to Kathleen Van Brempt (Vooruit/S&D) and Sara Matthieu (Groen/Greens), the Commission waited far too long to publish guidelines on the application of the law. “Postponement can and must not lead to weakening or erosion,” warned Van Brempt. Matthieu spoke of “a direct attack on the Green Deal.”