The EU delays for one year the entry into force of the law that prohibits the import of coffee or soybeans that cause deforestation

The Community Executive has thus given in to pressure from the industry, the EU’s international partners (particularly in Latin America) and political groups such as the European People’s Party (EPP), which demanded more time arguing that the new law against deforestation imposes disproportionate bureaucratic burdens on companies. The rule was approved in May 2023 with broad support both in the European Parliament and among the governments.

“Given the comments received from international partners on its state of readiness, the Commission proposes giving interested parties more time to prepare“, the Community Executive announced in a statement. Von der Leyen addressed this issue during the United Nations General Assembly held last week in New York, as explained by her spokesperson.

[La UE aprueba prohibir la importación de café, soja y aceite de palma que causen deforestación]

“Since all implementation tools are technically ready, the additional 12 months can serve as a phase-in period to ensure adequate and effective implementation”, argues the community Executive. Brussels published additional guidance documents this Wednesday to explain to all stakeholders how to apply the new law against deforestation. The extension must still be ratified by the governments and the European Parliament.

The European People’s Party wrote to the President of the Commission last week requesting this postponement. “We are particularly concerned that The agri-food sector, strategic for Spain, is one of the most affected. On the one hand, it is intended to hold farmers responsible for ensuring that the feed they feed their livestock does not come from deforested hectares outside the EU. On the other hand, the European agri-food industry, which uses cocoa, coffee or palm oil as ingredients, must also certify that they are products free of deforestation,” said the head of the PP in Brussels, Dolors Montserrat.

In contrast, the previous Environment Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, has denounced that delaying the regulation on deforestation ““It is a step backwards in the fight against climate change.”. ““Delay puts 80,000 acres of forest at risk daily, fuels 15% of global carbon emissions, breaks the trust of our global partners and damages our credibility on climate commitments,” says Sinkevicius.

Deforestation and forest degradation are important drivers of climate change and biodiversity loss, “the two key environmental challenges of our time”, according to Brussels The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) esteem that between 1990 and 2020, 420 million hectares of forest – an area larger than that of the European Union – were lost due to deforestation.