N. Peter Kramer’s Weekly Column
EU member states are now agreeing to postpone an weaken the EU’s new, cumbersome anti-deforestation directive. It is a welcome development, but to make a real difference, the EU must go much further.
EU governments agreed to extend the EU Deforestation Directive again, this time until the end of December 2026, instead of allowing to enter at the end of December this year. They ignore the proposal of the European Commission which had proposed to postpone implementation only for micro and small enterprises, with large and medium-sized enterprises only being granted a six-month grace period. The directive prohibits the sale of products such as cocoa, livestock, coffee, palm oil, timber and rubber on the EU market if they are linked deforestation.
After the Commission gave US President Trump a de facto exemption for US products, countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, which are major exporters of palm oil, asked for the same. Malaysia considered it particularly unfair that its imports were classified by the Commission as ‘standard risks’. According to the NGO Global Forest Watch, Malaysia lost only 0.56% of its primary forest in 2024. That is less than the loss of 0.87% in member state Sweden.
The main change by the member states of the deforestation directive is the introduction of a simplification clause. The Commission has to carry out a ‘simplification assessment’ of the regulation and to submit a report by 30 April next year, which is accompanied by a legislative proposal. A majority of the European Parliament agreed with the package, a majority consisting of the EPP and right-wing groups like ECR and Patriots. Liberals and socialists did not perceive the changes as advantages...
