EU Countries Approve One-Year Delay to Deforestation Law

European Union countries have formally approved a one-year delay for the bloc's landmark anti-deforestation law. The Council of the EU stated the move on Thursday clears the final legal hurdle for postponing the regulation, which was originally scheduled to take effect in December 2024.

The policy is designed to ban EU imports of commodities linked to forest destruction, including cocoa, palm oil, and others. It requires foreign exporters to provide due diligence statements proving their products did not contribute to deforestation.

Regulation Timeline

Original Timeline: The law was originally set to apply from December 2024 as a key part of the EU's green agenda.

First Delay: Brussels had already delayed the law once in response to industry concerns.

September Proposal: The EU proposed a second delay, citing concerns about the readiness of required information-technology systems.

Final Approval: EU countries approved the one-year delay on Thursday, clearing the final legal hurdle.

New Compliance Deadlines

Large Companies: Must comply starting December 30, 2026.

Smaller Firms: Companies with a turnover under 10 million euros in the affected products have until June 30, 2027.

Context and Reactions

The delay follows sustained opposition from industry groups and trade partners including Brazil, Indonesia, and the United States, who argued compliance would be costly and harm exports to Europe. Industry representatives had raised concerns that the digital system for enforcement was not ready.

Major food companies including Nestle, Ferrero, and Olam Agri had warned that further delays endangered forests globally. The policy aims to address the approximately 10% of global deforestation driven by EU consumption of imported goods.

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Source: REUTERS