EU proposes delaying landmark Deforestation Law amid industry pressure

The European Commission's move to postpone anti-deforestation regulations has sparked criticism from environmental NGOs.

Transcript

00:00Cocoa is one of the key products affected by European regulations to combat deforestation

00:11worldwide.

00:16With its famous chocolate, Belgium is a key player in the cocoa industry, which is why

00:20Follers, a company based in the port of Antwerp, welcomes the European Commission's proposal

00:25to postpone implementation of the legislation by one year.

00:55According to the regulation, cocoa imports will require proof of the origin of the beans,

01:10introducing a number of additional administrative tasks.

01:13The Commission is suggesting that a further 12 months be given to clarify these procedures

01:18at the risk of delaying efforts to preserve the forests.

01:22The aim of the regulation is to provide a framework for the entry into the EU market

01:27of products that contribute to the deforestation and forest degradation on a global scale.

01:32The text mainly targets cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil and timber.

01:41For environmental NGOs, the proposed delay is a mistake.

01:50The EU is a significant driver of deforestation worldwide.

01:55We say that the EU is the second biggest importer of deforestation in the world, only after

02:02China, which has a much bigger population.

02:06That doesn't mean that the EU is going overseas and cutting down forests.

02:09What it means is that a lot of the products that we import and consume in the European

02:13Union are produced at the costs of forests worldwide, both inside Europe and outside

02:19Europe.

02:21Regulation can make a real difference here, say the NGOs.

02:25After all, the EU is said to be responsible for the deforestation of more than 284,000

02:31hectares a year, an area almost the size of Luxembourg.