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Agreement on deforestation law: small companies get extra time

by AI | 04.Dec 2024 | Europe in brief AI

BRUSSELS (ANP) – The European Commission and the European Parliament reached a compromise on the deforestation law Tuesday evening. Specifically, this means that the law will take effect on January 1, 2026, for large companies. Micro and small enterprises will have an additional six months to apply the new rules. For them, the law will take effect on July 1, 2026.

A deforested area in the Amazon rainforest. (Photo: Fernando Souza/Zuma Press/dpa)

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The new rules prohibit the sale in the European Union of products originating from illegally deforested land, such as coffee, chocolate, and paper.

The deforestation law was initially set to take effect on January 1, 2025, but after criticism from companies, the European Commission decided to postpone the implementation by one year. The European Parliament recently agreed to this but added further adjustment proposals that would relax the law.

After the EU member states rejected those amendment proposals, the European Commission and the European Parliament sat down to discuss. In addition to another six-month delay for small businesses, an ’emergency stop’ is also incorporated. If the implementation of the law leads to major problems, its introduction can be postponed even further.

The compromise is a provisional political agreement. The EU member states must give their approval this month. The European Parliament will vote on the agreement at its next plenary session in mid-December.

(December 3, 2024)

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