Eu Seeks Fresh Delay To Deforestation Rules Amid It Headaches

Firefighters moving astatine nan segment of a occurrence astatine a peatland wood converted into thenar lipid plantations successful Meulaboh, successful Indonesia’s Aceh state connected 15 February 2025. Credit: CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP via Getty Images

IT problems person led The European Commission to propose different hold to nan EU’s caller deforestation rules coming into force.

The regulations, known arsenic EUDR, were group beryllium implemented successful December aft already being pushed back.

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EUDR, first announced successful 2021, was primitively owed to beryllium enforced connected 30 December this twelvemonth but nan Commission faced pressure from parts of nan nutrient industry to widen nan deadline. Brussels agreed to a one-year hold past December.

In July, Cadbury proprietor Mondelez International called for a further hold to nan rules, arguing nan rules had to beryllium “workable” successful practice.

However, a missive co-signed by rival cocoa makers Nestlé and Ferrero urged nan Commission to guarantee “the afloat preservation and swift, eager implementation” of EUDR.

The Commission, nan EU’s executive arm, is to clasp talks pinch nan European Parliament and nan European Council connected a caller postponement, a spokesperson told Just Food coming (23 September).

The spokesperson said nan EU had put into spot an IT strategy up of nan deforestation rules going unrecorded to let traders to registry goods. The strategy had truthful acold proved incapable to grip nan number of transactions, which had grown arsenic nan 30 December deadline approached, he added.

“The capacity is not sufficient. We concluded that it needs further activity connected nan IT broadside and that’s why nan Commissioner coming announced that we will beryllium speaking pinch nan Parliament and nan Council to explicate nan situation,” nan spokesperson said. “This will beryllium followed by our proposal, which will purpose to hold by 1 twelvemonth to hole this IT issue.”

Earlier today, EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall told reporters Brussels had a “concern regarding nan IT system, fixed nan magnitude of accusation that we put into nan system”.

A delay, Roswall was quoted arsenic saying by Reuters, “will … besides springiness america clip to look astatine nan different risks”.

Under EUDR, companies trading products including cocoa, java and thenar oil, arsenic good arsenic foods that incorporate nan ingredients, successful nan EU will person to show their proviso chains are free from deforestation-related impacts.

Large companies would person had until 30 December 2025 to abide by nan rules, while nan regularisation would person applied to smaller businesses from 30 June 2026.

WWF said different hold would lead to “massive stranded costs” for companies that had already “invested successful compliance”.

Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, wood argumentation head astatine WWF’s European argumentation office, added: “It is astir apt nary coincidence that this move comes correct arsenic nan Commission pursues an unprecedented deregulation agenda, throwing nan EUDR nether nan bus. This is unacceptable and a monolithic embarrassment for President [Ursula] Von der Leyen and her Commission. If this method rumor is real, this shows not only incompetence, but besides a clear deficiency of governmental will to put sufficiently successful a timely implementation of nan EUDR.”

Just Food has asked Mondelez and Nestlé for comment.

The European Commission besides coming announced nan conclusion of negotiations betwixt nan EU and Indonesia complete a free-trade deal.

The EU exports chiefly dairy and different animal products to Indonesia. Brussels said EU agri-food exports to Indonesia were worthy €1bn ($1.18bn) successful 2024. Indonesia’s main cultivation exports to nan EU are thenar oil, cocoa and coffee.