European deforestation law delayed by one year, will not be watered down
On Tuesday evening, EU member states and the European Parliament agreed to delay the EU's deforestation law for one year. The demand to update the law's content, which critics say would water it down, is off the table. That could change in 2028, as the law will be reviewed that year.
The deforestation law was originally approved in 2023 and was due to come into force on 30 December 2024. It bans imports into the EU and trade between EU countries of a range of products that come from deforested land.
But after lobbying from member states such as Germany, international partners such as Brazil and the US, and the business community, the European Commission proposed in October to delay the law's application by one year. The delay should give companies and traders more time to comply with reporting requirements for 'deforestation-free' products.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and member states agreed to the delay on Tuesday night. Large traders will get a 12-month extension and will not have to comply with the new legislation until 30 December 2025. Smaller businesses will be given until 30 June 2026.
No amendment
A right-wing majority in the European Parliament also wanted to amend the deforestation regulation so that it would not apply to EU and non-EU countries where there is "no risk" of deforestation. But member states found this unacceptable, arguing that the rule would create legal uncertainty. As a result, the 'no risk' amendment is not part of the agreement reached on Tuesday.
However, the agreement states that the European Commission will carry out an analysis of the deforestation law by 30 June 2028. The conservative European People's Party (EPP) has already said it wants to put the amendment back on the table that year.
"From 2028, countries that engage in sustainable forest management and not deforestation will have the opportunity to be exempted from unnecessary red tape," said German EPP MEP Christine Schneider (CDU).
Tuesday night's political agreement still needs to be formally approved by the Parliament and the Council. In the European Parliament, the Environment Committee will vote on Wednesday and the plenary vote will take place in the week of 16 December.
PHOTO © AFP / REMY GABALDA
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