EU proposes banning imports of soy and meat linked to deforestation

by

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday (17) to prohibit the importation of agribusiness products considered strongly linked to deforestation and forest degradation, among them some of the most exported commodities by Brazil, such as soy and beef.

The rule even covers the cutting of trees considered legal in the legislation of the country of origin of the products. According to the Commission, this is due to the fact that illegal deforestation has been overcome by the expansion of agricultural areas as the main cause of forest destruction.

The European Union also fears that, by making a distinction between what is legal and what is illegal, it will produce a perverse incentive: to make countries change their legislation to broaden the definition of what is legal deforestation.

The text should conflict with the Brazilian Forest Code, considered one of the most advanced internationally, which stipulates mandatory reserve limits in each region.

In the Legal Amazon, properties located in forest areas can deforest 20% of the area; in the cerrado, 75%, and in the fields, 80%.

​Although the project talks about forests and excludes flooded areas, such as the Brazilian Pantanal, the Commission states that the definition of what will be considered deforestation will be enough to protect two-thirds of what remains of native vegetation in the country’s cerrado.

In addition to soy and meat, the proposal refers to palm oil, wood, cocoa and coffee, and by-products such as furniture and leather. The list could be expanded in the future to include, for example, rubber, according to the Commissioner responsible for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius.

The text still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and the European Council (which brings together the leaders of the 27 members). If it passes, it foresees a year for companies and Member States to create the necessary structures to implement it.

Regardless of the date on which the process is implemented, the proposed legislation establishes that foreign trade companies will have to prove that commodities and products are not linked to deforested or degraded lands after December 31, 2020.

The Commission states that there will be no ban on any country or commodity. “Sustainable ​​producers will continue to be able to sell their products to the EU.”​

Countries or regions will be classified as having low, standard or high risk of producing commodities or products linked to deforestation or in disagreement with the legislation of the producing country, which will increase control.

The European Parliament had asked the Commission to include in the conditions leading to the import ban the respect for human rights and indigenous lands. According to the Commission, the fact that products must comply with national laws must partially fulfill this role.

According to the project’s justification, the expansion of agricultural land destined to produce commodities that the European Union imports is today the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation.

According to the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency), 420 million hectares of forest, an area larger than the European Union, were deforested between 1990 and 2020.

When discounting the area of ​​reforestation or forest regeneration, the loss was 178 million hectares, or three times the surface of France.

“The EU is partly responsible for this problem, and wants to respond to the strong call of European citizens to lead the way in solving it,” the Commission said. In public consultation, the proposal was approved by 1.2 million people.

European Green Deal Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans said the new rules address a European concern to promote “sustainable consumption”.

The defense of the environment and the climate crisis is considered one of the most important issues by Europeans, according to the most recent Eurobarometer survey, released last semester.

The proposal provides that the fight against deforestation, with fines for companies that disrespect the ban, will be accompanied by incentives for producers to preserve intact forests.

In Brazil, deforestation is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions (which cause global warming): it accounts for 55% of the problem.

The agricultural sector often argues that more than 90% of forest destruction is caused by illegal activities, but the EU’s decision to include any deforestation in its new rules could be a complicating factor.

understand the regulation

The Commission proposal establishes rules of “due diligence” (audit), by which exporters of products at risk of being linked to deforestation and forest degradation must ensure that they are free from deforestation and legal (in accordance with the laws of the country of origin) allowed on the EU market.

Foreign trade companies will be required to collect the geographic coordinates of the land where the goods they place on the market were produced.

This strict traceability aims to ensure that the surveillance of each EU country is able to control that only products free from deforestation enter the common European market.

The list of guarantees and the strictness of inspection will vary according to the risk of the country or region of origin.

Companies will have to submit a declaration to a European information system confirming that they have successfully carried out surveillance/audit and that the products they place on the market comply with EU rules.

The declaration will also provide essential information for monitoring, ie the geographic coordinates of the farm or plantation where the commodities were grown.

Failure to comply with either of the two requirements will result in a ban on placing these products on the EU market.

In addition to the proposal for deforestation, the Commission presented rules for the transport of waste and for land use in the EU.

.

You May Also Like

Recommended for you