EU Deforestation Regulation Faces Year-Long Delay Without Rule Changes

EU institutions reached a compromise to delay the Deforestation Regulation by 12 months without altering proposed changes, allowing companies until December 2025 to comply. The regulation seeks to prevent deforestation-linked commodities from entering the EU market but faces opposition from emerging countries claiming protectionism and potential exclusion of small farmers.

The European Union has agreed to delay the import ban on commodities tied to deforestation for a year, following a compromise reached among EU institutions. The decision keeps the regulation's provisions unchanged, despite previous suggestions for revisions by EU lawmakers.

Initially proposed by the European Commission, the 12-month postponement to December 2025 was met with favor by several EU countries, large companies, and nations including Brazil and Indonesia. These stakeholders had raised concerns about the EU's stringent deforestation regulations potentially affecting trade and economic relationships.

The intended regulation, which targets the removal of deforestation from supply chains of products like beef, soy, and palm oil in Europe, is seen as a significant step against climate change. Nonetheless, it has sparked controversy among emerging market nations, which argue that it may hinder small-scale farmers from accessing the European market due to protectionist tendencies.

(With inputs from agencies.)