7 November 2024: The European People’s Party (EPP) has proposed amendments to the landmark EU Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR), which is intended to prevent European consumption from driving deforestation and associated illegalities. The proposed amendments include delaying the law’s implementation by two years, exempting downstream companies in Europe – such as major supermarkets – from most due diligence and creating a new category of “insignificant risk” countries that would be exempt from many of the law’s requirements.
Sam Lawson, Director at Earthsight, commented: “Reopening a law that was passed with a clear majority and overwhelming public support is unacceptable.
Delaying the law by two years would condemn 4,600 sq km of forest to destruction. That’s an area more than five times the size of Brussels bulldozed for European consumption.
The other amendments proposed by Europe’s conservative bloc would be even more catastrophic. The amendments are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They seem reasonable until you actually think about the implications, which are disastrous. They are effectively a series of loopholes that would make this critically important law almost impossible to enforce. If you exempt downstream firms, shell companies can be created to do the importing and bear all the risk. If you exempt some supplier countries or regions, then you open the floodgates for high-risk goods to be laundered through them. Make no mistake: the EPP’s amendments would gut this law, and ensure it fails in its goals.
The European Commission, which opened the door for these additional amendments when they agreed to put forward a one year delay, must shut that door. It must withdraw its initial proposal from consideration by Parliament.
If the Commission fails to do so, it is essential that MEPs see these amendments for what they are, and vote them down.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The EUDR bans the import or trade within Europe of palm oil, beef, leather, cocoa, coffee, soy, rubber and timber produced illegally or on land deforested since 2020 and is scheduled to take effect on 30 December 2024, unless delayed.
The EPP’s proposed amendments can be found here.
CONTACT
Fyfe Strachan, Policy & Communications Lead, fyfestrachan@earthsight.org.uk
ABOUT EARTHSIGHT
Earthsight is a London-based non-profit committed to exposing environmental and social crime and their links to global consumption.
