EU rejects bid to eviscerate impending deforestation rules

The EU has agreed to a 12 month implementation delay to a flagship law to ban the import of products linked to deforestation. This amendment now needs to be endorsed by the European Parliament and Commission and officially adopted.

Once formalised, the postponement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will “allow third countries, member states, operators and traders to be fully prepared in terms of their due diligence obligations to ensure that certain commodities and products sold in the EU or exported from the EU are deforestation-free.” Critically for Australia, this includes beef and timber products.

Thankfully, the EU has rejected proposed changes that would have gutted the law of its substance and created an unsound ‘no risk’ list of countries that would have been spared from the rules.

Australia’s deforestation crisis is rampant. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of unique forests and bushland are destroyed every year to make everyday products—from steaks to packaging. Across the world, consumers want to know that the things they buy don't come from deforestation.

To date, the Australian Government has failed to support this ambitious law, or support industry in meeting these new obligations. Instead, the Australian government has been trying to reopen and weaken this law for months, attempting to water down global forest action and get around the rules using loopholes, definitional spin and technicalities. All the while, it has been trying to portray itself as a global leader on environment issues having committed to the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests.

The Wilderness Society says Australia’s deforestation crisis is ongoing. During 2021-22, 323,676 hectares of land was impacted by land clearing activity in Queensland alone—10 times more than in Indonesia for palm oil.

The Wilderness Society urges the Australian federal government and industries associated with deforestation-risk to take advantage of this 12 month “grace period” to go deforestation-free if they want to keep market access and consumer trust in the future—it’s only a matter of time.

Adele Chasson, Manager of Corporate Advocacy and Engagement for the Wilderness Society, says: “Corporations are knocking down Australia’s precious forests and bushlands every day to produce beef, timber, pulp and aluminium. The EUDR means they have to stop if they want to export to the European market.

"Deforestation is wrecking biodiversity, flattening threatened species habitat, accelerating climate change and destroying cultural heritage. Europeans know it is a huge problem. Customers in Australia and overseas want it to stop—they don’t want their steak or packaging to come from deforested koala habitat.

"The EUDR is a key opportunity for Australian industries and governments to finally tackle deforestation. This 12-month grace period isn’t a licence to continue the destruction, it’s a chance to act now to maintain market access, finance and consumer trust as the world shifts away from destructive practices."