According to the Socialists and Democrats Group (S&D), in coalition with the far right, the European People’s Party (EPP) has weakened key provisions of the EU’s deforestation regulation. Following today’s vote in the European Parliament, which allowed for a dilution of the regulation, the S&Ds Group expressed deep disappointment, viewing it as a significant setback for the EU’s environmental commitments.
“This vote is yet another example of the EPP undermining the Green Deal and compromising the EU’s efforts on climate and biodiversity during a critical environmental crisis,” the S&D Group says, calling on the European Commission to withdraw its proposal.
“This deforestation regulation is vital to ensuring that products entering the EU market are free from deforestation, reinforcing the EU’s leadership in global environmental standards. While the S&D Group was open to a one-year delay to provide businesses time to adjust, we categorically opposed the EPP’s weakening amendments, which were pushed through with the support of far-right factions,” Delara Burkhardt, S&D negotiator on the EU Deforestation Law, said.
“By allowing these amendments to pass, the EPP has eroded the EU’s credibility in combating deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate change. They have created uncertainty for operators and traders striving to comply with regulations. They have also created an unfair system of double standards between the EU member states, where different member states will be classified in different risk categories,” MEP Burkhardt continued.
“The S&D Group calls on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to withdraw the proposal entirely. With the core provisions of the regulation now compromised, a delay risks prolonged inaction and sends a troubling message about the EU’s environmental priorities.”
