A historic decision to end the commercialization of goods that contribute to the illegal deforestation of the planet. The European Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on Tuesday. Interim political agreement on a new rule to ensure that seven key products and their derivatives placed on the EU market no longer contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the EU and other parts of the world.
those products, palm oil, beef, soybeans, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber, and derivative products such as beef, furniture or chocolate. None can be sold in the European Union unless it can be proven that it was obtained without resorting to deforestation.
When the new rules come into effect, All companies will have to do “strict due diligence” if they enter the EU market or they export essential products considered “key” to global deforestation, the European Parliament and the European Commission have stated in separate statements.
these goods It was selected on the basis of a comprehensive impact assessment that identified it as the main driver of deforestation. Due to agricultural expansion, the Community Executive assured its supporter of this measure.
Brussels, this step will help stop a significant portion of deforestation and forest degradation globallyThis will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
The new regulation strict mandatory due diligence standards for companies Those who want to supply or export the relevant products to the EU market.
operators and traders must prove that the products are free of deforestation (produced on non-deforested land after 31 December 2020) and legal (follow all relevant laws in force in the country of manufacture).
Businesses will also need to collect accurate geographic information about farmland. where the goods they supply are grown, so that the conformity of those goods can be verified.
Member States should ensure that non-compliance with rules leads to effective and dissuasive sanctions.
Periodic review of the list of goods and products
The list of covered goods will be regularly reviewed and updated.taking into account new data such as changes in deforestation patterns.
Same way, The European Commission will run a benchmarking system to evaluate countries or parts of countries. and deforestation and forest degradation risk levels (high, standard or low risk), taking into account agricultural expansion for the production of seven key products and derivatives.
Companies’ liabilities will depend on the level of risk. This will also guide the EU to work with partner countries to stop deforestation, while paying particular attention to the plight of local communities and indigenous peoples.
At the international level, the EU will intensify its engagement, both bilaterally with producer and consumer countries and in the relevant multilateral fora, to ensure the effective implementation of the new law and assist producing countries where necessary.
new rules It will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss, but also help secure the livelihoods of millions of people.Including indigenous peoples and local communities around the world who are heavily dependent on forest ecosystems, according to Brussels.
Once the regulation goes into effect, operators and traders will have 18 months to implement the new rules. Micro and small businesses will benefit from a longer compliance process, among other special provisions.
Biodiversity Conference kicks off in Canada
This deal only comes on the eve The Biodiversity Conference in Canada (COP15) kicks off this Wednesday and was established to define nature conservation targets in the coming years.
Its key points are in addressing deforestation, whether legal or illegal; strict traceability requirements linking goods to the farmland where they were produced; and a country benchmarking system.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates Between 1990 and 2020, 420 million hectares of forest, an area larger than the European Union, were lost due to deforestation..
In terms of net loss of area (the difference between cleared forest area and new forest area planted or regenerated), FAO estimates that the world lost about 178 million hectares of forest cover over the same time period. An area three times the size of France.
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