European Commission proposes to postpone anti-deforestation law
Pressure from exporting countries agricultural commodities had an effect on the decision of the European Commission this Wednesday (3), which decided to propose the postponement of the validity of the anti-deforestation law scheduled to come into force on December 30th this year. The measure, approved in April last year, determines that all cargoes of soybeans, beef, wood, cocoa, coffee, palm oil and rubber, as well as their derivatives, shipped to the bloc are accompanied by supporting documentation that they do not pass through areas of deforested forests, legally or illegallystarting in January 2021. In Brazil, the areas directly affected are the Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes. But all exporters, from any region, will need to show that their products have not passed through prohibited areas, in addition to complying with rules on land use, labor standards, human rights and environmental protection, for example.
“Several global partners have repeatedly expressed concerns about their state of preparedness, most recently during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York,” the Commission states in its official statement. “The state of preparations among interested parties in Europe is also uneven,” he adds.
“Several global partners have repeatedly expressed concerns about their state of preparedness, most recently during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York,” the Commission states in its official statement. “The state of preparations among interested parties in Europe is also uneven,” he adds.
“THE extension is not yet guaranteed”ponders the Secretary of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (Secex-MDIC), Tatiana Prazeres, “but it meets the efforts of the Brazilian government and other international partners so that there is necessary time for adaptation, as well such as greater clarity on how the legislation will be implemented”.
The MDIC, alongside other ministries, such as MRE and MAPA, has worked with European authorities to defend the interests of the Brazilian productive sector, highlighting the government’s commitment to combating deforestation, but warning of the risk that the measure will impose barriers unfair and unnecessary trade in Brazilian products in Europe.
The lack of clarity and adequate regulation is what worries most. “You have exporters who are placing goods on ships, now in October, without the European computerized system related to EUDR being ready to receive the information required by legislation. That’s one of the concerns. If legislation is not postponed, the level of uncertainty regarding the treatment given to this merchandise will be very high”, says Tatiana.
The possible postponement, according to her, is positive, but does not close the issue. “We understand that the legislation continues to be problematic in several aspects and we will continue to act to defend the interests of our exporters”.
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Officially called the “European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR)”, the law says, in general terms, that European importers must monitor their supply chains with the aim of ensuring that imported products do not come from areas deforested after December 31, 2020.
The measure affects products from the coffee, soy, palm oil, wood, leather, beef, cocoa and rubber production chains. It is estimated that it will affect 15% of total Brazilian exports and 34% of Brazilian exports to the European Union. .
Among other gaps, it is not clear what data and instruments would be accepted to define whether or not deforestation occurred in a given area. “We want, for example, for Brazilian data to be accepted for the purpose of proving European requirements. Brazil has reputable and reliable tracking and monitoring systems, with robust historical series”, argues the secretary.
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