A plot of land where conifers were felled by loggers in the Morvan regional reserve, in Brassy, central France, on September 3, 2021. HASSAN AYADI / AFP
EU member states on Wednesday, November 19, backed a new one-year delay to landmark anti-deforestation rules that have hit a wall of opposition from businesses and trading partners, diplomats told Agence France-Presse. Already delayed by a year, the roll out of the law banning imports of products driving deforestation would be pushed back to the end of 2026 under plans backed by a majority of member states. These still need approval by the EU parliament.
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Forests: European Parliament makes progress on deforestation, wood use
Led by Germany and Austria, EU capitals also backed holding a review of the sweeping legislation in April next year – before it even comes into force. The new delay goes further than a six-month grace period for large firms already proposed by the European Commission, while backing a push to cut back reporting requirements, including for small companies.
