NGOs condemn deforestation law delay as EU reaches agreement
Advocacy and research organisations that have repeatedly called on EU member states and parliament to reject the delay in the deforestation regulation have reacted strongly to the political agreement
BRUSSELS, December 6, 2024 – The European Parliament has reached a provisional agreement to postpone the European Deforestation Regulation [EUDR] by one year to ensure proper implementation amid strong opposition from countries like Indonesia, Brazil, and Malaysia, as well as civil society organisations around the world.
Policymakers also agreed to scrap amendments proposed by the European People’s Party [EPP], such as including a new “no-risk” category, under which several countries would face significantly less stringent requirements or be exempt.
“[The postponement] gives European businesses, foresters and farmers the planning security they need while protecting them from excessive bureaucracy,” says Christine Schneider MEP, the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the Deforestation Law.
“We ensured that the new law does what it is meant to: diminish illegal deforestation. We must not penalise those who are already managing forests sustainably. We need to help them continue doing so,” adds Schneider.
Once formally adopted, the law will apply to large companies from December 30, 2025 and to micro- and small enterprises from June 30, 2026.
“Back to square one”
Advocacy and research organisations that have repeatedly called on EU member states and parliament to reject the delay in the deforestation regulation have reacted strongly to the political agreement.
“Like a bad soap opera, the EUDR legislative process has unfolded in dramatic fashion over the past few weeks, only to land back at square one,” says Fyfe Strachan, policy lead at the environmental non-profit Earthsight.
Policymakers agreed to scrap amendments proposed by the EPP, such as including a new “no-risk” category. “The EPP’s ‘no-risk’ amendments would have been disastrous for the EUDR. They would have opened up a massive loophole based on arbitrary criteria that would have made the law nearly impossible to enforce. Rejecting them was the only sensible course of action.”
“Although we have dodged a bullet this time, the EPP should never have played fast and loose with such an important law,” Strachan says, adding that the focus should now be implementation, “not an endless back-and-forth of reopening and amendments.”
NGOs stress that delaying the EUDR will worsen the impact of deforestation. Strachan estimates that the postponement will have a deforestation footprint equivalent to the carbon emissions of 18 million cars.
Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, manager, Forests at the World Wildlife Fund European Policy Office, says: “It is a relief that the fundamental elements of the most progressive EU law to fight deforestation remain unchanged. However, delaying its application by a year is already a step backward, allowing deforestation to continue unabated.”
“The deal is also significant in that it represents a major defeat of the EPP’s efforts to hollow out the EUDR and thus its first attempt at weakening the European Green Deal by making common cause with the far right.”
Prioritising smallholder farmers and forests
The EUDR aims to ban the import of key commodities, including cocoa, coffee, cattle, soy and palm oil, whose suppliers cannot prove that their goods did not contribute or were linked to deforestation in any form.
Originally scheduled to come into effect this December, the law has faced opposition from some stakeholders. They believe it penalises smallholder farmers by potentially pushing them out of the supply chain, which can disadvantage them compared to big businesses.
While the delay has garnered criticism, the Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] emphasises that it should not deter immediate action for sustainable forest value chains.
“Reaching this outcome has been a complex and emotional journey for the many who care about the future of our forests. The additional time is an opportunity to unite under a common goal: ensuring that EUDR delivers maximum impact when it comes into effect. Our forests — and the communities who depend on them — cannot afford complacency,” says Matteo Mascolo, FSC’s lead, EU Affairs & Engagement.
FSC urges companies to act as if EUDR is already in effect, demonstrating supply chain traceability. It also calls for more open collaboration between governments, smallholder farmers and indigenous groups.
“After the rollercoaster of the past few weeks, the European Council, Parliament and Commission must now draw a firm line: there must be no more attacks on the EUDR,” concludes Earthsight’s Strachan.
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