On November 20, 2024, EU member states voted against amendments to a new law aimed at protecting rainforests, with 25 out of 27 countries, including Germany, opposing any changes. This decision follows a prior vote by a majority in the European Parliament favoring modifications.
The Hungarian EU presidency announced that member states also supported delaying the law's implementation by one year, pushing it from the originally planned start date of next year to 2025. The European Parliament is in agreement with this postponement.
The law stipulates that products such as coffee, wood, soy, cocoa, and palm oil can only be sold in the EU if no deforestation occurred after 2020. This measure aims to significantly reduce deforestation in regions like the Amazon rainforest.
The proposal now returns to the European Parliament, where if the Parliament withdraws its amendment requests, the law could be delayed as planned. However, without a timely agreement, the law may still take effect in 2025, creating challenges for businesses that anticipated the delay.
Christine Schneider, the responsible rapporteur in the European Parliament, criticized the German government's stance against substantive changes as “irresponsible.” She emphasized the need to initiate trilogue negotiations promptly to finalize the amendments before the year's end.
Environmental organizations have expressed concerns about a proposed amendment that would create a category for non-risk countries, which would be subject to less stringent regulations. Activists argue this could create loopholes that facilitate harmful deforestation.