EU countries block further easing of deforestation law

The delay was proposed by the European Commission to give companies and countries more time to comply with the complex new requirements. Critics, including parliamentarians and NGOs, have accused the European Commission of slow processing. 

It took months before key control mechanisms and guidelines were established, creating uncertainty about how companies could comply with the rules. Micro and small businesses will even have until mid-2026 to comply with the regulations.

Led by the Christian Democratic EPP group, the right-wing majority of the European Parliament tried last month to introduce various exemption rules. This has now been rejected by the ministers and ambassadors of the EU countries.

According to environmental organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, it is crucial that the law maintains its integrity to combat global biodiversity loss and meet the EU’s climate targets.

The aim of the regulation remains unchanged: to prevent global deforestation by ensuring that products such as coffee, soy, cocoa, timber, and palm oil entering the EU do not come from recently deforested areas (after December 2020). 

However, the law remains controversial. While countries dependent on exports to the EU worry about economic consequences, some versions argue that the delay only provides more time to improve implementation without weakening environmental efforts.