The European Parliament extended the introduction of the deforestation law for 12 months

After the applications of Mercosur and other countries producing raw materials such as beef and soy called the Regulation 1115/2023 of the EU, the European Parliament extended the entry of that regulation for 12 months, while changes added such as the implementation of the “country without risk of deforestation” category, where countries with forest protection laws would be considered.

In response to timely requests from member countries of that commercial bloc, as well as external operators, The European Parliament agreed to extend the implementation of the regulations on deforestation.

Last October, it was agreed to give urgent treatment to the matter, so it was studied and put to a vote today. The extension received 371 votes in favor, 240 against and 30 voting.

From this conclusion, The operators involved in the export to the EU of the products involved will have until December 30, 2025. comply with the obligations derived from regulation 1125/2023.

In the case of small businesses, it has been established that the deadline will be June 30, 2026.

During the session, European legislators added changes to the original rules, such as the creation of a new category of countries that are not at risk of deforestation (for which they must show a sustainable or growing development in the forest area), which would be added to the existing ones (“low”, “normal” and “high” risk countries). In order to move forward with the matter, the European Commission will have to establish a system that will make a comparative assessment of the countries that export to that destination by June 20, 2025. Once the approval process a given the amendment of regulation 1125/2023 by part of the Commission and the European Parliament, it still wants to publish this in the Official Journal of the EU until it comes into definitive force.

Upon hearing the news, the president of the Argentine Rural Association (SRA), Nicolás Pino, pointed out that the “European Union has decided to suspend and review status application 1115/2023 regarding total deforestation for products destined for that market” and warned: “we will continue to work until it is never implemented. “

“From the beginning our entity rejected this initiative nationally and internationally (…) However, for 2 years we have been working hard and today we see that progress has been achieved which seemed impossible to achieve,” Pino said. And he said: “While we continue to maintain our complaints, Now it will be a challenge to continue following the same path to ensure that this type of rules that amount to an attack on national sovereignty will never be implemented. “We are part of the solution, not the problem,” said the SRA boss.

Appropriately, since then Confederation of Agricultural Cooperation (Coninagro) has marked the European Union’s decision to suspend the implementation of regulation 1115/2023, while itowner Argentine Rural Confederations (CRA), Carlos Castagnani pointed out that “The cancellation of the measure is a recognition of our requests, but we will continue to work to take into account the context of the Argentine representative.”

For her part, the president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation (FAA), Andrea Sarnari, when the subject is mentioned in communication with TV chakra consider that “The EU standard on deforestation sets us and will be a para-tariff measure for our productsas well as generating a burden for the Argentine producer.”; while the Oil Industry Chamber and Cereal Exporters Center (CIARA-CEC) had expected that, after the extension ordered by the EC, “we now have to review to do physical separation.”

This measure banned meat, soy, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, wood, rubber, and products such as leather, chocolate and furniture that were not “deforestation free” from entering the European market.

The decision of the European Community recommends “an additional twelve months of gradual implementationresponding to calls from global partners” was notified 90 days before the originally scheduled date for the implementation of the resolution. The official communication pointed out that the extension “does not call into question the objectives or the content of the (deforestation) law, as agreed by the EU co-legislators”.