Brussels, 14 November – The European Parliament today backed a 12-month delay to the adoption of a landmark EU anti-deforestation law, which would see new rules come into force aimed at preventing imports and exports of products grown on deforested land by the end of 2025.

MPs also proposed major new loopholes that would seriously undermine its ability to protect forests, according to Global Witness.

The proposed delay could result in at least 150,385 hectares of EU trade-related deforestation, an area more than fourteen times the size of Paris, according to Global Witness. analysis.

New amendments adopted today by the EPP would classify exporting countries as “risk-free”, meaning that companies importing from these countries would not need to carry out due diligence. This would create a loophole that would allow “high-risk” products grown on deforested land to be exported through countries with “risk-free” status without any controls.

Giulia Bondi, EU Forests Campaigner at Global Witness said:

“Every day this vital forest protection law is delayed is a day we cannot afford. The world is losing its climate-critical forests at a frightening rate, as climate-related extreme weather becomes increasingly deadly and destructive in the EU and around the world. This is a deeply worrying sign that national governments and parliamentarians are working to fill the gaps in this law and delay it rather than speed it up. This is why we call on the European Commission to lift the delay and put the law back on track to enter into force. strength this January.

Following today’s vote, the European Commission may withdraw its proposal to delay the law by 12 months, meaning it would come into force in January 2025. If the Commission does not withdraw the proposal, Parliament , the Council and the Commission will renegotiate the law.

The EU deforestation regulation, adopted in December 2022, aims to prevent imports and exports of a comprehensive list of products linked to deforestation and forest degradation, including coffee, timber, palm oil, livestock, soy, rubber and cocoa, as well as products derived from them.