Members of European parliament vote during a debate on deforestation at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 13 September 2022. [EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON]
The European Parliament voted last week in favour of a regulation requiring companies to ensure products sold in the EU do not come from deforested or degraded land, a move hailed as a “ray of hope” by green campaigners.
The Parliament’s text broadens the list of products and commodities covered in the European Commission’s original proposal, presented in November last year.
The initial list, which included cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya and wood was extended to cover pigmeat, sheep and goats, poultry, maize and rubber, as well as charcoal and printed paper products.
The new law would make it obligatory for companies selling those goods in the EU to verify that they were not produced on deforested or degraded land while respecting human rights provisions and indigenous peoples.
“If we are serious about fighting global biodiversity loss as well and climate change, it is very important to be very strict and ambitious on this file as well because 80% of global biodiversity can be found in our forests worldwide,” said Christophe Hansen, a centre-right MEP from Luxembourg who steered the legislation through the European Parliament.
“I would go as far as to say that if we do not tackle deforestation, all other efforts we are making on EU ground to curb climate change are nothing but a drop in the ocean and will definitely not lead to the change we need to tackle global warming,” Hansen added.
The Parliament’s text broadens the list of products and commodities covered in the European Commission’s original proposal, presented in November last year.
The initial list, which included cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya and wood was extended to cover pigmeat, sheep and goats, poultry, maize and rubber, as well as charcoal and printed paper products.
The new law would make it obligatory for companies selling those goods in the EU to verify that they were not produced on deforested or degraded land while respecting human rights provisions and indigenous peoples.
“If we are serious about fighting global biodiversity loss as well and climate change, it is very important to be very strict and ambitious on this file as well because 80% of global biodiversity can be found in our forests worldwide,” said Christophe Hansen, a centre-right MEP from Luxembourg who steered the legislation through the European Parliament.
“I would go as far as to say that if we do not tackle deforestation, all other efforts we are making on EU ground to curb climate change are nothing but a drop in the ocean and will definitely not lead to the change we need to tackle global warming,” Hansen added.
‘Ray of hope’
Lawmakers in the Parliament’s Environment Committee had already strengthened the proposed regulation in July, enlarging the scope of the law to include more products, increasing the number of checks on companies and including other natural ecosystems to the list of protected areas – such as grasslands, peatlands and wetlands .
Financial institutions will also be subject to additional requirements to ensure that their activities do not contribute to deforestation.
On Tuesday, a substantial majority of MEPs backed the proposal, with 453 votes in favour, 57 votes against and 123 abstentions.
Many welcomed the regulation for raising Europe’s level of ambition in fighting global deforestation. According to the report, the European Union is responsible for over 10% of global deforestation.
“This is pioneering legislation and the European Union is setting an example,” stated Agnès Evren, leader of the French delegation of the centre-right EPP group.
“I hope that we will be followed elsewhere in the world in order to put a real stop to deforestation and, at the same time, strengthen our fight against climate change and for the preservation of our biodiversity.”
The Parliament’s vote was also hailed by green activists, who praised the wider scope of the regulation, the consideration of the rights of indigenous peoples and the inclusion of requirements for financial institutions.
“Today’s vote is a ray of hope for the world’s forests and the indigenous communities who are struggling to protect them,” commented Giulia Bondi EU forests campaigner at Global Witness.
“Preventing European financial institutions from financing the destruction of forests would be a monumental step forward in the fight to protect threatened ecosystems like the Amazon.” euractiv - link - Valentina Romano - link - more like this (rainforest) - link - more like this (EU) - link
Lawmakers in the Parliament’s Environment Committee had already strengthened the proposed regulation in July, enlarging the scope of the law to include more products, increasing the number of checks on companies and including other natural ecosystems to the list of protected areas – such as grasslands, peatlands and wetlands .
Financial institutions will also be subject to additional requirements to ensure that their activities do not contribute to deforestation.
On Tuesday, a substantial majority of MEPs backed the proposal, with 453 votes in favour, 57 votes against and 123 abstentions.
Many welcomed the regulation for raising Europe’s level of ambition in fighting global deforestation. According to the report, the European Union is responsible for over 10% of global deforestation.
“This is pioneering legislation and the European Union is setting an example,” stated Agnès Evren, leader of the French delegation of the centre-right EPP group.
“I hope that we will be followed elsewhere in the world in order to put a real stop to deforestation and, at the same time, strengthen our fight against climate change and for the preservation of our biodiversity.”
The Parliament’s vote was also hailed by green activists, who praised the wider scope of the regulation, the consideration of the rights of indigenous peoples and the inclusion of requirements for financial institutions.
“Today’s vote is a ray of hope for the world’s forests and the indigenous communities who are struggling to protect them,” commented Giulia Bondi EU forests campaigner at Global Witness.
“Preventing European financial institutions from financing the destruction of forests would be a monumental step forward in the fight to protect threatened ecosystems like the Amazon.” euractiv - link - Valentina Romano - link - more like this (rainforest) - link - more like this (EU) - link
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