Brussels hosts launch of anti-deforestation law – Euractiv DE

Despite the request from the German government and other EU countries for a delay, the EU Commission is sticking to the planned start of implementation of an EU law against deforestation. The German government fears “excessive bureaucracy” for German foresters.

Brussels has informed the Federal Ministry of Economics about compliance with the original plans, the ministry announced on Wednesday (25 September) and described the EU Commission’s line for a start at the end of the year as “worrying”.

“The Commission had over a year to create the conditions for a proper and practical implementation of the regulation,” said Federal Minister of Economics Özdemir in a press release. “This was not achieved.”

So far, there is no classification of Germany and other EU countries as countries with a low risk for forest stocks, which would significantly reduce the burden of proof for companies.

The EU law for deforestation-free supply chains prohibits the sale of products whose cultivation areas were deforested after 2020. In addition to coffee, palm oil and soy, this also applies to cocoa, rubber and beef. Companies are to ensure compliance with the law using satellite-based location data and report to the Commission. However, the corresponding software is not yet widely available.

The Federal Government and other EU states had repeatedly called for the start of the regulation to be postponed by six months to July 1 of next year.

Özdemir is now calling on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to “make a decisive statement.” “We need more time to prepare, otherwise supply chains risk breaking at the end of the year – to the detriment of the economy and consumers,” the minister explained.

At the end of last week, the situation looked different. On Friday, it was announced that von der Leyen announced in an EPP group meeting “that she will propose either a postponement or another interim solution within a few days,” the Italian EPP agriculture spokesperson in the EU Parliament, Herbert Dorfmann, told Euractiv.

The Socialist Group, the Greens and the liberal Renew Europe group are outraged and are calling on the Commission President to stick to the original timetable.

[Bearbeitet von Kjeld Neubert]