Fairtrade International is calling on the European Parliament to reject the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) amendment proposals put forward by the European People’s Party (EPP) group.
Adopted in 2023, EUDR obliges companies to ensure products sold in the EU have not led to deforestation and forest degradation.
The proposals include an extended delay of 24 months to implement the EUDR, which Fairtrade argues “would jeopardise the substantial investments and efforts made by thousands of stakeholders”, including coffee and cocoa farmers, many of whom are members of co-ops.
Another suggested amendment is the removal of due diligence obligations from traders, which Fairtrade says could lead to less accountability for traders.
“As Fairtrade stated repeatedly, there is no environmental and social sustainability without fair sharing and management of risks across the supply chain,” the organisation said in a statement.
The EPP’s amendments also call for for the establishment of a “no-risk” category in the benchmarking process, with companies would required to show evidence of compliance only if requested by the competent authority.
“Fairtrade believes that there are zero ‘no risk’ categories because human rights violations and environmental degradation may happen even in regions/countries where deforestation has been decreasing. Furthermore, without associated mechanisms to incentivise forest protection and restoration, a ‘no risk’ category could lead to unintended consequences, such as the lack of activities that support sustainable supply chains in countries at risk,” said Fairtrade International.
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In October, the European Commission announced plans to delay the law’s implementation by a year, until December 2025 – a proposal Fairtrade International had not called for but it is now willing to support to “avoid chaos and uncertainty”.
“For these reasons, Fairtrade implores the European Parliament to vote down these amendments and uphold democratically decided laws while demonstrating its commitment to forests, climate change, and biodiversity,” the organisation said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Copa and Cogeca, the organisations representing European farmers and their agri co-ops, welcomed the Commission’s proposal to delay the law’s implementation by 12 months. They have yet to express a view on the EPP’s proposals.
“While we fully support the regulation’s objective to combat global deforestation, it is crucial to ensure that it is implemented under the right conditions to be effective and feasible,” Copa and Cogeca said in a joint statement with other industry bodies.
“For many months, our organisations have raised concerns about the regulation’s practical applicability and the substantial administrative burden it imposes,” the statement reads. “We therefore call the European Parliament and the Council to consider the challenges raised by EU member states, third countries, and relevant stakeholders, and to approve the Commission’s proposal for a one-year postponement.
“The focus must now shift to addressing the practical challenges associated with the EUDR’s implementation to prevent uncertainties and avoid supply chain disruptions. We will carefully review the guidance document published today and remain committed to further dialogue to ensure workable solutions for all impacted sectors.”
The centre-right EPP – the largest political group in the European Parliament with 188 MEPs – argues the current Deforestation Law “is a bureaucratic monster”.
“If implemented, it risks hampering European farmers and businesses. That’s why the EPP Group has called for a delay, but postponement alone is not enough,” Christine Schneider MEP, the EPP Group’s lead negotiator on the deforestation legislation, said in a statement ahead of the plenary vote.
The EPP argued only the company placing the product on the market should be responsible for proving it is deforestation-free. “Don’t ask companies to prove it again and again and again throughout the whole supply chain,” Schneider added.
The EPP adds the law should not be implemented until data platforms tracking product origins are fully operational and a risk classification system is in place and stands by its proposal to “exempt countries without deforestation”. This provision could exempt exporters based in EU countries from the law’s obligations.
“We urge everyone who is serious about cutting red tape to take this seriously,” said Schneider. “With the support of all MEPs, we now have the chance to turn words into action; we can truly cut bureaucracy – something the European Parliament has long promised. Let’s get to work.”
The proposals have been criticised by NGOs like the World Wide Fund for Nature and Greenpeace, who have called on MEPs to reject the EPP’s amendments.
While across the world 420 million hectares of forest were lost due to deforestation between 1990 and 2020, in the EU forests increased 10% over the same period. EU consumption accounts for 10% of global deforestation, mostly palm oil and soya, which account for more than two thirds.
