The German Minister for Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, called for a public statement by Ursula von der Leyen on the six-month postponement of the ‘Imported Deforestation’ regulation, on Monday 23 September, alongside the Agriculture Council.
“Ms von der Leyen may have hinted within her group [the European People’s Party]” that she would consider re-examining the timetable for implementing the legislation, added the German minister, referring to a meeting of the EPP held on Tuesday 17 September. When contacted, a source close to the matter confirmed this information to Agence Europe.
Requests for a postponement are multiplying (see EUROPE 13482/13) while the transition phase is due to end on 31 December 2024, a year and a half after the official entry into force of the text in June 2023, and when some believe that the regulation is still unworkable. “Five or six ministers have raised the issue of postponing the implementation of the regulation and have expressed their concerns about this”, a European official told Agence Europe.
Officially, the European Commission continues to take a firm stance. “No proposal for any change has been made to date”, said one of its spokespersons on Tuesday 24 September. The institution continues to “work actively on preparations for implementation” and to discuss “actively with its partners in third countries”.
The guidelines, which have yet to be published, will be so “before the regulation comes into force”. Intended to help the various stakeholders “in their efforts”, they are not however “necessary”, according to the spokesman, who added that “the regulation as such is sufficiently clear”. However, he acknowledged that the deadlines for implementation were “ambitious”.
A meeting of the implementation committee was held on Tuesday afternoon, 24 September, according to two European sources. One of them told Agence Europe that the Commission should indicate “where it stands on setting up the platform and the list of critical countries”. (Original version in French by Florent Servia with Lionel Changeur)