Press release
225 global groups say “Hands off the EU deforestation regulation!”
15 October 2024
More than 225 civil society organisations from at least 42 countries have called on the European Parliament and national EU governments to reject the European Commission’s proposal to delay by twelve months the application of the EU deforestation-free products regulation (EUDR).
*** Read the full statement below and the full list of signatories online here ***
Greenpeace EU forest policy director Sébastien Risso said: “In light of the climate emergency, we cannot afford for EU consumption to contribute to the destruction of the world’s forests for another year. We are out of time. Delaying decisive action will only exacerbate the consequences for this and future generations.”
Fern’s Nicole Polsterer, sustainable consumption and production campaigner, said: “EU policy makers must not renege on their commitment to the EUDR and the Green Deal. Last minute U-turns mean stepping back at a critical moment from the fight to protect the planet and avert the climate crisis – the greatest challenges of our age.”
ClientEarth lawyer Michael Rice said: “Delaying action against deforestation means letting down millions of European citizens who have been calling for this law and countless businesses and small farmers – including those outside the EU – who have strongly supported it and made significant investments to comply with it on time.”
Vanessa Richardson, Senior Forests Campaigner at Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), said: “The world cannot afford any delays in our collective fight against global deforestation and averting runaway climate change. Policy makers must act now and listen to all voices from producer countries and ensure the EUDR is effectively implemented.”
Giulia Bondi, EU Senior Campaigner at Global Witness said: “The EU is at a pivotal moment — once a champion of strong environmental regulation, it now risks both reputational and ecological collapse by prioritising short-term interests over climate action. Our analysis shows a 12-month delay to the law could lead to an area of deforestation fourteen times the size of Paris, unleashing carbon emissions equivalent to 188 million long-haul flights. Each month of inaction goes at the expense of our forests and Indigenous Peoples who protect them. EU governments and Parliament must not rollback their commitments to prevent further catastrophe.”
Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Manager, Forests at the WWF European Policy Office, said: “This is not the moment to give companies even more time to destroy our remaining forests. The delay would penalise those companies that made significant investments to comply with the law on time, and reward the laggards. Is this really the signal EU policy-makers want to send?”
Next steps
EU member states’ ambassadors are expected to give the green light to the Commission’s proposal in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday 16 October.
The European Parliament will vote on the proposal in one of its upcoming plenary sessions, but has not yet set a date.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Translations of the statement into Bahasa Indonesia, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish will be available on the #Together4Forests website from Wednesday 16 October.
Organisations will continue to sign on to the statement in the coming days and weeks. The #Together4Forests coalition will re-circulate the statement with an updated list of signatories in advance of the vote in the European Parliament. Add notes to editors here
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