Germany has joined the group of EU countries that are pushing for a delay of the new EU law against trade in products that contribute to deforestation. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sent a letter to the European Commission about this. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir says that Berlin wants a delay of at least six months.
Berlin complains that the control mechanisms and details for implementation are not yet properly arranged. Other EU countries, including Austria and several other agricultural ministers, are also pushing for a delay. The new regulation requires precise documentation on the origin of all products, which is difficult for many small producers to achieve.
However, both European farmers and international trading partners such as Brazil and Indonesia fear barriers to exports.
The EUDR law requires companies to prove from January 1 that their products such as soy, palm oil, coffee and cocoa do not come from deforested rainforests. Deforestation is considered one of the biggest drivers of climate change and biodiversity loss.
This applies not only to exporting countries, but also to importing companies. The new rules also apply to products made in EU and exported to EU countries.
Criticism is also being voiced in Germany. The paper and printing industry, which relies on synthetic wood, warns that the law will hit them disproportionately hard. This is because they have to prove that their wood is not produced from 'deforested' areas. Other forested (and wood-producing) countries such as Sweden, Finland and Austria also complain about this.
Minister Özdemir said at a press conference on Friday, after the biannual meeting of the agricultural ministers of the 16 German states, that "Germany does not have a deforestation problem." He pointed out that the EU - including himself - has recently been pushing for less bureaucracy and regulations for farmers. That should also apply to the forestry industry.
The European Commission announced earlier this month that it wanted to stick to the current timeline. But Brussels is working on support to help countries and companies process the new rules. However, the debate about a possible postponement continues to flare up, especially now that several large economies within the EU have expressed concerns about the practical implementation of the new rules.