EU eases reporting rules to combat deforestation

The European Commission has amended the EU’s deforestation law, which comes into force in December, replacing mandatory batch-by-batch reporting with annual due diligence statements. The move comes in response to calls from the industry.

The law bans imports of soy, beef, cocoa and palm oil, all of which are linked to deforestation. The initial introduction of the law was delayed for a year due to protests from industry and trading partners.

The EU will classify countries by risk (high, standard and low) by the end of June, which will determine the level of import requirements. The EU’s Environment Commissioner, Jessica Rosewall, stressed that the aim of the changes was to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining the regulatory objectives.

Despite calls from some countries and sectors, including the US, for further simplification, Brussels has refused to make further changes.

Some campaigners have expressed concern that relaxing reporting requirements will reduce the effectiveness of the law. Anthony Fontaine, director of VOICE Network, believes the move to annual reporting could have a negative impact on monitoring and enforcement.

Tags: deforestation, restrictions, EU, legislation