The European Union Parliament adopted its position on the Commission proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products, that would make it obligatory for companies to verify (“due diligence”) that goods sold in the EU have not been produced on deforested or degraded land anywhere in the world. This would guarantee consumers that the products they buy do not contribute to forest destruction, including irreplaceable tropical forests, and hence reduce the EU’s contribution to climate change and biodiversity loss. An area larger than the EU was lost due to deforestation from 1990 to 2020, with EU consumption accounting for around 10% of losses.

The Parliament also wants to enlarge scope by adding pigmeat, sheep and goats, poultry, maize, rubber, charcoal and printed paper products to those being covered by the new rules. Moreover, wants financial institutions to be subject to additional requirements to ensure that their activities do not contribute to deforestation. Ultimately, some members of the Parliament propose that companies should verify that goods are produced in accordance with human rights provisions in international law and respect the rights of indigenous people.