EU consumption is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation © Adamikar Adobe Stock
By AFP - Agence France Presse
EU Parliament gives final approval to the postponement of the deforestation ban.
The European Union parliament on Tuesday gave its final approval to postpone the implementation of a wide-ranging anti-deforestation law by a year, brushing aside a belated attempt to water down the controversial rules.
The bill, which bans the import of products that cause deforestation, was initially scheduled to come into force at the end of this year.
But lawmakers in Strasbourg voted overwhelmingly to postpone its entry into force until December 30, 2025.
“We have heeded the calls of various sectors facing difficulties and ensured that the companies, foresters, farmers, and authorities affected will have another year to prepare,” said the parliament's rapporteur, Christine Schneider of the center-right EPP group.
The law bans a wide range of products - from coffee to cocoa, soy, timber, palm oil, cattle, printing paper, and rubber - if they are produced on land that has been deforested after December 2020.
The ban was celebrated by environmental groups as a major step forward in the fight to protect nature and combat climate change.
However, the ban faced opposition from trading partners and some EU capitals amid concerns about bureaucracy, costs, and a lack of clarity about some aspects of the law.
This prompted the European Commission to propose a one-year postponement in October.
In November, right-wing legislators hijacked a first vote on the postponement to amend the text and relax some requirements, throwing the law into uncertainty.
However, almost all EU governments subsequently expressed their opposition to the last-minute amendments, throwing the ball back into parliament's court.
On Tuesday, lawmakers heeded the wishes of the bloc's 27 nations, approving only the postponement already agreed.
ub/del/bc
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