European Parliament postpones application of the deforestation regulation

In brief

On 14 November 2024, the European Parliament adopted amendments that change the application date of the European Union's deforestation regulation. The text, adopted by 371 votes in favour, 240 against and 30 abstentions, aims to postpone the entry into force of the obligations for companies and to introduce a new category of countries at "zero risk" of deforestation.

Background

Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, known as the "deforestation regulation", was adopted in 2023 to combat deforestation and forest degradation worldwide. It requires companies that place products such as soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber and certain derivatives thereof on the European market to verify that these products do not come from deforested land. These rules were due to apply from a certain date, but concerns arose about the ability of companies and authorities to comply in time.

What Parliament decided

The amendments adopted change the original regulation on several points:

• Postponement of the application date: the European Commission must make the information exchange platform and the risk classification fully operational at least six months before the application date. In the event of delay, the application date is postponed accordingly. This means that the obligations for companies could be pushed back if the tools are not ready.
• New "zero risk" category: countries or parts of countries that meet strict criteria (forest area stable or increasing since 1990, signature of the Paris Agreement and human rights conventions, transparent implementation of deforestation regulations) can be classified as "zero risk". For these countries, products are not subject to the same conditions as those at low, standard or high risk.
• Simplified formalities for zero-risk products: operators importing products from zero-risk countries need only provide specific documents (trade name, quantity, country of production, contact details of suppliers and customers, evidence of zero deforestation and compliance with local legislation) and not the full due diligence obligations.
• Reduced checks: Member States must check at least 0.1% of operators importing zero-risk products, compared with higher percentages for the other categories.

Vote result

The vote was held by electronic roll call. Result: 371 votes in favour, 240 against and 30 abstentions. The amended text was adopted.

What this means for citizens

For European consumers, these changes aim to ensure that the products we buy (such as chocolate, coffee, leather or wood) do not contribute to global deforestation. The possible postponement of application gives companies more time to prepare, but could delay effective protection of forests. The creation of a "zero risk" category could facilitate trade with certain countries considered virtuous, while maintaining requirements for others. As a citizen, you can continue to buy with confidence, knowing that checks are planned, but you will have to wait for full implementation to see the concrete effects on the ground.