EU Decides to Postpone Anti-Deforestation Law by One Year

The European Parliament has decided to abandon amendments proposed by the European People’s Party (EPP) to new legislation aimed at combating deforestation, following pushback from the European Commission and EU member states.

Among the dropped amendments was a controversial proposal to establish a new “no-risk” category that would have reduced due diligence requirements for commodities sourced from areas deemed to have zero or negligible risk of deforestation. However, the Council of the EU had expressed concerns that such a measure might conflict with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. As reported by POLITICO, the EPP officially withdrew this proposal late last week.

This latest reversal is not the first in the legislative process. In November, the EPP had already abandoned a series of more radical proposed reforms ahead of a key parliamentary vote. These included a two-year delay in implementing the law and several exemptions that, according to critics, would have significantly undermined the legislation’s objective of ensuring that products sold in the EU do not contribute to global deforestation.

Despite these setbacks, the Commission made a concession to the EPP by agreeing to revisit the regulation in 2028 to explore possible simplifications and ease regulatory burdens.

“The Commission will provide further clarifications and explore additional simplifications, and streamline reporting and document obligations, to keep them to a necessary minimum,” read a joint statement related to the agreement.

The finalized draft of the legislation will now undergo a vote in the European Parliament’s environment committee as well as in plenary. Once approved, it will be published in the EU’s Official Journal and will officially become law.