The European Commission recently indicated that it could not develop the necessary methods and technical guidelines in time. This has raised concerns in various sectors about the feasibility of the law and the increasing administrative burdens it imposes. To give companies more preparation time and to avoid unnecessary complexity, the European Parliament has now agreed to a one-year postponement until the end of 2025.
The law aims to ban the import of products originating from deforested areas in South America and Asia. It requires companies to prove that their products do not come from recently deforested areas. This applies to products such as palm oil, soy, timber, cocoa, and beef.
Importing European companies must provide detailed information about the origin of their products to comply with strict traceability and transparency requirements. This initiative is seen as a milestone in the fight against global deforestation, which causes significant ecological damage especially in tropical regions.
The Parliament has also made some amendments that opponents consider a weakening of the original law. Environmental organizations fear that these adjustments could undermine the law’s effectiveness. At the same time, some voices argue that these changes are necessary to ensure the law remains workable for smaller companies and producers.
One of the consequences of these changes is that a new round of negotiations must be initiated between the European Parliament and EU ministers. In this renewed dialogue, the (new) European Commission and political groups in the Parliament can reopen discussions on previously proposed—but rejected—amendments. This process could further delay the law’s implementation and create additional uncertainty for both businesses and policymakers.