After earlier news that The European Commission had no plans to delay the anti-deforestation law going into effect next January, the EC has announced yesterday it will delay the implementation of the law by 12 months.
The law, designed to ban imports of commodities linked to deforestation, is considered a major step in combating climate change. However, countries like Brazil and Malaysia, along with industry groups, argue that the regulation could have negative impacts. They claim the law may be protectionist and could potentially exclude millions of small-scale farmers from the EU market, worsening their economic situation.
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The postponement aims to give these affected industries and governments more time to adjust to the new requirements, which would help mitigate the disruption to small farmers. The delay reflects the EU's recognition of the law's global implications and the need to balance environmental goals with economic fairness, particularly for poorer regions reliant on agricultural exports.
The Swedish organisation TMF, together with other organisations, has questioned the hasty implementation and is pleased with the news. 'The announcement that the European Commission is now proposing to postpone the start date is welcome and is a result of pressure from many business organisations around Europe – including TMF and its European umbrella organisations Efic and Ce-Bois,' says TMF.
'Provided that the EU Parliament and the EU Council agree with the Commission to postpone the EUDR, many of our companies can breathe a sigh of relief temporarily. Introducing EUDR as early as the end of the year would have serious consequences for many Swedish companies that handle wood. Now we get a welcome breathing space and can continue to work on preparing the industry and continuing our advocacy work,' says TMF's Head of Sustainability Robin Ljungar.
Source: www.reuters.com