08-07-2025
Agriculture ministers target EU deforestation rules
LISBON – Eighteen EU countries sent a letter to the European Commission on Monday asking for the delay and simplification of rules against deforestation.
Third-countries have requested more time to comply with the rules, prompting authorities to suspend the Deforestation Regulation's application until 31 December 2025. The letter refers to the possibility of a further extension of the deadline.
In the letter, 18 agriculture ministers argue the regulation overlooks the forest protection standards each country has already adopted and the negligible deforestation risks that some present, imposing 'disproportionate bureaucratic obligations' on them.
Forests cover approximately 30% of the Earth's land area, and host around 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. The EU rules are designed to regulate the import and export of products that contribute to deforestation and forest degradation.
But the 18 ministers argue that the Commission should include the deforestation rules in its latest deregulation push. They want to see obligations axed in countries where agricultural activity maintains forest cover at significant levels, and in those considered low risk.
Signatories included Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Sweden.
(edited by Pedro Sousa Carvalho)
