Europe approves proposal banning imports linked to deforestation

The European Parliament approved this Tuesday (13) the proposal for a project that prohibits the entry of commodities linked to deforestation in the European market, which has the potential to affect Brazilian exports.

The regulation aims to increase control over imports of beef, palm oil, soy, wood, cocoa, coffee and other products. In order for these goods to be marketed in the European Union, companies will need to prove that they do not come from illegally logged forests.

With the approval of the text, the Parliament will start negotiations on the final law with the EU member states. To enter into force, the project needs to be approved by the 27 countries and, if that happens, the measure should impact Brazil, which has already been pressured by the bloc due to the socio-environmental agenda practiced by the government of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Requests for amendments that attempted to water down the text were rejected and the plenary of parliament approved the text by a wide margin. There were 453 votes in favor and 57 against — with 123 abstentions.

The law would make it mandatory for importing companies to implement due diligence systems [diligência prévia] to monitor, address and mitigate any negative impacts of their imports on forests. According to the proposal, this would assure consumers that the products have not contributed to the destruction of vegetation and biodiversity, thus reducing the EU’s weight in the climate crisis.

MEPs also want companies to verify that commodities are produced in accordance with human rights provisions and that they respect the rights of indigenous peoples.

In addition to the already defined imports — and by-products such as leather, chocolate and furniture — the European Parliament intends to include meat from pigs, sheep and goats, poultry, corn and rubber, as well as coal and paper products.

The definition of the cut-off date for deforestation is also under discussion. Some lawmakers insist that the goods must not have been produced on deforested land after December 31, 2019 — a year earlier than proposed by the European Commission.

After the vote, rapporteur Christophe Hansen said the EU is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation and acknowledged the need to step up efforts to stop the problem. “If we get the right balance between ambition, enforceability and WTO compliance [Organização Mundial do Comércio]this new tool has the potential to pave the way for deforestation-free supply chains,” he said.

In a note, MEP Anna Cavazzini said regulation of deforestation-free supply chains was an urgently needed game changer.

“European companies are contributing by importing meat, animal feed and other products that have led to deforestation elsewhere. We have to do everything in our power to stop it,” he says. “We need the same sense of urgency in the upcoming negotiations with member states,” he adds.

According to Nicole Polsterer, manager of sustainable production and consumption at Fern, a European environmental NGO, Parliament has taken a crucial step towards making the EU’s anti-deforestation law a game-changer.

“MEPs have heard the call of indigenous peoples to protect their land rights, and companies will be legally obliged to respect them,” he says. “For this regulation to reduce deforestation rates, the EU must strengthen cooperation with the governments of the countries where the goods that drive deforestation are produced”, he adds.

According to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 420 million hectares of forest — an area larger than the EU — were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. The European Union would account for 10% of this total, mainly considering the origin of the products consumed. Palm oil and soy alone comprise more than two-thirds.

The proposal approved on Tuesday is not intended to ban any product or block access by countries to the European market. The objective is to determine that importing companies assess the risks in their supply chain, through satellite monitoring tools, audits, supplier training or tests to verify the origin of products.