The Nature Restoration Act has become one of the most controversial regulations in the EU framework. On several fronts, the regulation has come under pressure from sectors which, far from considering the objective of combating deforestation as an incentive, warn against its harms. Faced with this situation, the European Commission presented this Wednesday a proposal aimed at postpone the entry into force of this rule for one year, scheduled to start in 2025.
In a statement, the Community Executive reported that “suggests an additional adaptation period of 12 months, in response to requests from global partners“, although “it reaffirms its support for the implementation of the European regulation on deforestation”. The regulation applies to products such as livestock, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya, wood and rubber, as well as their derivatives, such as leather, chocolate and furniture.
To confirm such a delay, the proposal must now be approved by the The European Parliament and the Member States in the Council of the EU. Remember that the regulation was approved only a few months ago, last July. This was within the deadlines set by the two institutions and after having seen their ambitions revised downwards on several occasions. Although, in reality, the main affront against the regulation has been embodied by the agricultural protests, which see in the regulation more obstacles and demands on non-EU producers.
The objective of the Nature Restoration Law is to establish an objective for recovering losses of biodiversity and degraded natural spaces. In its final version, it sets the ambition that 20% of degraded marine and terrestrial ecosystems must be restored by 2030 and completely by 2050which represents a reduction compared to its initial claims.
Considering that between 1990 and 2020 the destruction of the world’s forest mass has exceeded the surface area of the community bloc, the rule aims to prevent products consumed in the EU from contributing to this deforestation and the destruction of forest habitats, whether inside or outside the EU. . Thus, companies will have to demonstrate that their products have not contributed to the loss of forest or forest biodiversity.
“Given that all implementation instruments are technically ready, the additional twelve months can serve as a phase-in period to ensure adequate and effective implementation,” says the European Commission, which specifies that with this postponement , it seeks to provide certainty in the implementation of regulations, without changing its purposes.
It’s not that concerns about the Nature Restoration Act come only from the community space. Other countries have expressed doubts about its application, Brazil, Colombia, United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand between them.
