The S&D Group is deeply concerned about the European Commission’s proposal to delay the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation by twelve months. They believe this move could reopen the legislation, which they consider unnecessary and dangerous. The S&D Group is committed to opposing any attempts to weaken the EU deforestation law and ensuring that the EU remains a global leader in sustainable development.
“The S&D Group strongly condemns the Commission’sCommission’s mismanagement of the EU deforestation law implementation process. This delay could have been avoided had President Von der Leyen issued the necessary guidelines for affected businesses and countries in a timely manner,” said Christophe Clergeau, S&D co-vice-president for the Green Deal.
“The S&D Group do not expect the Commission to ask for a delay but to do its job and propose a concrete, effective and credible action plan to implement the legislation.”
Kathleen Van Brempt, S&D vice-president for international trade, added that the Green Deal and its legislative framework must remain intact.
“We will stand firmly against any efforts by the conservative European People’s Party or other parties to dilute essential green legislation. The prolonged inaction of the Commission has caused significant uncertainty for stakeholders and created an unfair competitive environment for businesses that have made efforts to comply with the regulation. The S&D Group is committed to ensuring that the EU remains a global leader in sustainable development, and we will continue to fight for strong and effective environmental regulations,” Van Brempt said.
