(Strasbourg/13.09.2022) Today, the European Parliament adopted a regulation against deforestation and forest degradation by a large majority. This means that a legal framework is now in place to ensure that raw materials and products sold in the EU are not linked to deforestation and human rights violations. Manuela Ripa, Member of the European Parliament for the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), said: "The EU bears a major responsibility for global deforestation, as it imports soy, beef, palm oil, coffee, cocoa and other goods from deforested areas. These products, which drive the destruction of nature and human rights violations, end up in our supermarkets. It should not be up to consumers to choose responsibly produced products. That is why the regulation adopted today is a really big step forward."

The ÖDP politician points out two important points in particular in the text adopted by the plenary: EU companies will be subject to due diligence in future. This means that, on the one hand, they must prove that there is no deforestation or destruction of nature within their supply chains. Secondly, they must prove that human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples are respected in the manufacture of products, as well as the relevant laws and standards of the respective countries.

The text originally proposed by the EU Commission was significantly tightened up again, particularly under pressure from Ripa's Greens/EFA group. The scope was extended to include "other wooded land" and the scope of application now also includes other raw materials such as rubber and maize. In addition, the provision on financial institutions has made it into the final text. This means that it can now be ensured that no companies that cause deforestation are financed. This was still uncertain until shortly before the vote.

Manuela Ripa therefore sees the regulation adopted today as a major step forward: "According to a Commission study, an area of forest the size of Portugal was lost worldwide between 1990 and 2008 because the EU consumed goods grown on deforested land. The text adopted today can not only reduce deforestation caused by the EU. It can also increase pressure on the international community to make its supply chains deforestation-free, thanks to the EU's leadership on climate action."

The MEP emphasizes that she will continue to work to ensure that only sustainable products that do not harm nature or violate human rights enter the EU internal market.