New rules for companies to stop EU-driven deforestation around the world
To fight global climate change and biodiversity loss, MEPs demand companies ensure products sold in the EU do not come from deforested or degraded land.
MEPs will debate Monday and vote Tuesday on a new regulation on deforestation-free products to reduce the EU’s contribution to climate change and biodiversity loss globally. The new law would make it obligatory for companies to verify (so-called “due diligence”) that goods sold in the EU have not been produced on deforested or degraded land. MEPs are expected to request the widening of the scope of products covered by the regulation, and that companies must also verify these goods are produced in accordance with human rights provisions in international law and respect the rights of indigenous people.
MEPs will also debate and vote on a new EU Forest Strategy for 2030. Stressing the multi-functional role of forests - which mitigate climate change while also creating jobs -, the draft report proposes actions to secure resilient forests in the EU. Given the EU’s diverse forests and climate conditions, MEPs say that forestry management should be developed nationally, regionally and locally and in cooperation with forest owners.
Background
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest — an area larger than the EU — were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. It is estimated that EU consumption represents around 10% of global deforestation.
In October 2020, Parliament made use of its prerogative in the Treaty to ask the Commission to come forward with legislation to halt EU-driven global deforestation.
Procedure codes: 2021/0366(COD) & 2022/2016(INI)
Procedures: Ordinary legislative procedure (deforestation) and own-initiative procedure (EU Forest Strategy)
Debates: Monday 12 September 2022
Votes: Tuesday 13 September 2022