International pressure for the European Union to delay the implementation of its anti-deforestation legislation, set to take effect at the end of this year, is increasing. Last week, Brazil and Australia formally joined efforts, which already include countries like China, the United States, and even Germany (the largest economy in the European bloc).
According to the current schedule, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will take effect on December 30, 2024. The law sets barriers against the importation of agricultural products that have been produced in areas deforested after 2020. It will impact the trade of wood products, cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, beef, and rubber.
In a letter to European authorities, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro stated that the law is a “unilateral, coercive, and punitive” measure. The ministers said that Brazil “is willing to explore, bilaterally and in appropriate regional and international forums,” how to intensify cooperation with the European bloc to preserve forests.
The Australian Senate, for its part, passed a motion asking the EU to delay the import rules due to uncertainty about how they will be implemented and the impact they will have on the country’s beef industry. The decision is supported by the two main parties in the Senate.
Similarly, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued last week that “the regulation must be workable,” adding that he had personally asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, to suspend the EUDR until the issues raised by representatives of the printing industry were clarified.
The German leader’s comments also add to criticism of the law expressed by countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, who argue that it will negatively impact global commodity markets.