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EU Parliament approves law banning imports of deforestation-linked goods
The law will require companies that sell goods into the European Union to produce a due diligence statement and "verifiable" information proving their goods were not grown on land deforested after 2020, or risk hefty fines.
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A worker harvests oil palm fruit in Pucok Lueng, West Aceh regency, Aceh, on Feb. 4, 2023. The reference crude palm oil price dropped US$41.26 to $920.57 in the period of Feb. 1-15 due to the declining market demand in India
and China as well as the deprivation of the Malaysian ringgit against the greenback. (Antara/Syifa Yulinnas)
T
he European Parliament approved a landmark deforestation law on Wednesday to ban imports into the EU of coffee, beef, soy and other commodities if they are linked to the destruction of the world's forests.
The law will require companies that sell goods into the European Union to produce a due diligence statement and "verifiable" information proving their goods were not grown on land deforested after 2020, or risk hefty fines.
The rules aim to eliminate deforestation from the supply chains of a range of everyday items sold in Europe. It will apply to soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber, charcoal, and derived products including leather, chocolate and furniture.
Deforestation is responsible for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change, and the landmark law aims to tackle the EU's contribution to this.
The law does not target any one country, but has faced pushback from countries that would be among the most affected.
Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest palm oil exporters, have accused the EU of blocking market access for their palm oil. The EU is the world's third-largest palm oil importer.
Malaysia has said it could stop exporting palm oil to the EU in response to the law, while palm oil smallholders warn that they cannot comply with its requirements to prove when and where goods were produced, using precise geolocation data.
