{"id":47364,"date":"2024-12-17T12:24:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T11:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/?p=47364"},"modified":"2024-12-17T12:24:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T11:24:50","slug":"eu-deforestation-law-to-be-delayed-as-new-threat-emerges-from-eu-mercosur-trade-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/issues\/climate-energy\/47364\/eu-deforestation-law-to-be-delayed-as-new-threat-emerges-from-eu-mercosur-trade-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"EU deforestation law to be delayed as new threat emerges from EU-Mercosur trade deal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Brussels \/ Strasbourg, 17 December 2024 <\/strong>\u2013 The European Parliament is expected to confirm a one-year delay in the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in a vote today, following a late, failed attempt by the European People\u2019s Party to weaken the landmark law. But the ratification of the EU-Mercosur trade deal agreed last week could still deal a fatal blow to the EUDR, according to Greenpeace.<\/p>\n\n

The EUDR covers products that are linked to deforestation and forest degradation, like beef, chocolate, palm oil, coffee, rubber, soy, and wood. For companies who wish to sell these products in the EU, the EUDR requires them to guarantee that their products are legal and deforestation-free.<\/p>\n\n

If the vote passes today as expected, the EUDR will start to apply from 30 December 2025 for medium and large operators, and from 30 June 2026 for small and micro-enterprises. <\/p>\n\n

The context and manner in which the EUDR will apply may fundamentally change, however, following the conclusion of negotiations for a free-trade agreement between the EU and the countries of the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). The European Commission\u2019s directorate-general for trade (DG Trade) led the negotiations on behalf of the EU.<\/p>\n\n

In contrast to the EUDR \u2013 which was agreed in a standard, participatory democratic process in 2022, with broad public engagement and support \u2013 the controversial EU-Mercosur agreement, which will significantly affect the EUDR\u2019s enforcement and implementation, was negotiated behind closed doors by a  single department within the European Commission, said Greenpeace.<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace EU trade campaigner Lis Cunha <\/strong>said: \u201cWho really makes the rules in the EU? A one-year delay in protecting forests is bad enough, but there\u2019s worse in store because one department in the European Commission in charge of trade has negotiated a treaty behind closed doors that will significantly affect how the EU deforestation law will work in practice. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s appalling that president von der Leyen gave this agreement a green light. Governments and the European Parliament must prevent the ratification of this toxic deal. The Commission\u2019s DG Trade should call itself \u2018DG B-Trade\u2019, because they\u2019ve betrayed Europe\u2019s citizens and the Amazon rainforest. I\u2019ll let you imagine what the \u2018B\u2019 might stand for.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe EU deforestation law was agreed in 2022 by all EU institutions. It is based on the simple principles that the EU must take effective steps to limit the impact of European consumption on precious ecosystems, and that companies have a responsibility to ensure that their own supply chains are clean,\u201d <\/em>added Cunha<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Trumped by EU-Mercosur <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In the annex to the trade and sustainable development chapter<\/a> (the TSD annex) of the EU-Mercosur agreement, several provisions entail fundamental changes in how the EUDR will work in practice. <\/p>\n\n

The EU-Mercosur agreement appears to contradict the guidance<\/a> the European Commission issued on EUDR implementation in November 2024. The EUDR works on the principles of objective criteria, traceability, obligations on economic operators to carry out due diligence on their supply chains, and enforcement by EU competent authorities. <\/p>\n\n

Under the EUDR, operators are free to use certification schemes as complementary information, but certification schemes on their own are not a guarantee of compliance and do not exempt operators from their due diligence and compliance obligations. The Commission\u2019s guidance states that \u201cthe use of such schemes does not imply a \u2018green lane\u2019 since the operator is still required to exercise due diligence and is held liable if it fails to comply<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

In contrast, the European Commission has agreed in the TSD annex to the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement that:<\/p>\n\n