This request for further delay comes after some Green Deal agricultural laws were withdrawn and relaxed last month. The new proposal is supported by Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Hungary. However, this does not yet constitute a qualified majority.
They recently expressed their concerns about the progress of climate legislation at the Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg. They stated that the European Commission has not yet completed the necessary administrative work, raising questions about the feasibility of timely implementation of the laws.
The 'benchmarking' announced but not yet realized by Brussels will assess the deforestation risk for all importing EU countries. Without benchmarking, all countries would be ranked equally and would have to bear disproportionately high bureaucratic burdens. Time is pressing because businesses and governments need to prepare in time.
The EU regulation stipulates that soy, palm oil, cattle, coffee, cocoa, rubber, and wood (and products made from these) may only be imported if they are not linked to deforestation. The regulation came into effect in June 2023, and the new rules must be applied 18 months later, starting at the end of 2024.
In response to member states’ concerns, the European Commission has announced that it will evaluate the situation and continue the dialogue. It emphasized that the goal of a greener future must not be undermined, but practical feasibility and the economic impact must also be taken into account.