EU Anti-Deforestation Law: 18 Countries Request Simplification and Delay
On July 7, 18 European Union countries asked the European Commission to postpone the implementation of the anti-deforestation law and simplify its rules.
The law, voted in 2023, was initially set to take effect by the end of 2024 but has already been delayed to December 2025 due to organizational issues and internal disagreements. Since 2021, the EU has aimed to combat global deforestation by controlling the importation of agricultural products, such as cocoa and coffee, to ensure they do not come from lands cleared after 2020.
Which Products Are Affected?
The targeted raw materials are strategic, particularly for European food and agro-industry:
- Cocoa (chocolate): the EU is the world's largest importer.
- Coffee: 45% of global coffee consumption is in Europe.
- Soy: widely used for animal feed, especially for livestock.
- Palm oil: often criticized for its direct link to deforestation in Southeast Asia.
- Timber: for furniture, paper, and construction.
- Meat: particularly beef from Latin America.
According to the signatories of the letter, relayed by Bloomberg News, the legislation would impose "disproportionate administrative burdens" on countries where deforestation is considered "insignificant." They denounce a too rigid approach, without taking into account national efforts towards sustainability.
Some actors, such as the European People's Party (EPP), had even proposed creating a category of "risk-free countries" to avoid unnecessary controls – but the European Commission rejected this option at the end of 2024, preferring a case-by-case evaluation.
And What About North Africa?
Countries like Tunisia do not massively export these raw materials but are indirectly concerned as importers: soy for animal feed and coffee for local consumption are largely imported from Latin America or West Africa, regions sensitive to deforestation. For Tunisian or Maghreb importers, these new rules could impact the logistics chain and costs, especially for re-exported trade to the EU.
