Eleven EU countries push to further weaken deforestation law

A group of 11 European Union countries is pressuring the European Commission to delay and soften the bloc’s landmark deforestation law, warning that current requirements are too burdensome for farmers and foresters, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The European Union is facing renewed calls to scale back its pioneering anti-deforestation regulation, as 11 member states—including Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, and Finland—have urged the European Commission to simplify and postpone the law’s implementation once again.

The policy, set to take effect in December 2025 after a previous delay, aims to curb the EU’s role in global deforestation by requiring companies to prove that key imports—such as soy, beef, palm oil, cocoa, and coffee—are not linked to forest destruction. Firms failing to comply could face fines of up to 4% of their EU turnover.

In a joint paper addressed to EU agriculture ministers, the governments argued that the current requirements remain “disproportionate” and “nearly impossible to implement,” especially for small-scale farmers and foresters. They proposed introducing a new “very low risk” category of countries that would be exempt from strict due diligence and customs checks.

Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia also signed the paper, which will be discussed at an agriculture ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday.

The Commission has already watered down the regulation in response to backlash from global trade partners like Brazil and the U.S., and earlier this month announced that most countries would avoid the law’s strictest checks. A spokesperson for the Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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