The European Commission absolutely must “postpone the entry into force of the deforestation regulation and then use the transitional period to reduce bureaucracy in the text”, declared MEP Peter Liese (EPP, German) on Thursday 27 June.
“It is unacceptable for areas the size of 11 football pitches to fall victim to deforestation every year. However, the regulation has been turned into a bureaucratic monster by a majority of Greens, Social Democrats, Leftists and French Liberals”, continues Mr Liese, who highlights the difficulties that are expected for many small farmers around the world and even small forest owners in the European Union.
In addition, third countries are complaining heavily about the legislation, including countries that are pursuing the same objective as us, namely to put an end to deforestation, he concludes.
Several EU countries have also asked for the application of the anti-deforestation regulation (see EUROPE 13404/5) to be suspended.
The text provides for a ban from 2025 on imports into the EU of products (palm oil, beef, soya, coffee, etc.) whose production has contributed to forest degradation. The EPP spokesman on environmental issues mentioned a similar request from the United States to underline the “urgency” of the situation. The Biden administration sent a letter to the European Commission on Thursday 30 May, according to the Financial Times, a few days after a joint declaration by several member countries of the World Trade Organization (Brazil, Indonesia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Australia and the United States) at a meeting in Geneva on 23 and 24 May (see EUROPE 13417/6). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur with Florent Servia)