MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Europe bans imports of products involving deforestation

The measure may affect exports from Mercosur countries such as Argentina and Brazil

The European Union Wednesday banned the import of products such as soy, meat, or wood that might involve deforestation in their processes. The measure also reached leather, furniture, palm oil, paper, cocoa, coffee, and rubber and their byproducts.

Under the new regulation, any product made on deforested land after December 2020 will be banned from entering the 27 countries of the European Union. The decision is expected to affect many exports from the Mercosur countries, particularly Argentina and Brazil.

The control of origin will be carried out by the importing companies, which face hefty fines in case of infringement. The companies will have to trace the origin of the products and may even use satellite images to determine whether deforestation is increasing.

While the original bill intended that only primary forests, such as rainforests, be protected, the final wording includes all forests equally, while more products were added to the initial European Commission's proposal.

Europe does not deforest its territory, but if its imports are taken into account, explains the environmental NGO WWF, the European Union is the second largest destroyer of tropical forests in the world, second only to China. The same NGO explained that 16% of the planet's total deforestation is caused by production for export.

The move seeks to avoid deforestation by forcing companies importing these products to ensure that the rights of native populations living in territories bordering protected areas are respected.

European companies will also need to check that their customers in their countries of origin respect national legislation on human rights.