LONDON, Sept 19 (Askume) – The European Commission stood its ground on Thursday despite a request from the EU’s cocoa industry to suspend its signature law banning imports of the good linked to deforestation that is due to take effect later this year.
The European Cocoa Association (ECA) said in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week that the implementation of the law at the end of December could have serious consequences for cocoa supplies. In addition to the letter, industry and governments around the world have also spoken out.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has been hailed as a milestone in the fight against climate change, but critics say it is protectionist and could lock millions of poor small farmers out of the bloc’s lucrative markets.
Most EU member states have called on Brussels to withdraw the law.
“We are currently envisioning a scenario where large quantities of raw cocoa would be blocked (without supporting documentation). This would have a direct impact on producing countries and farmers in Europe,” the ECA said.
The group said its members still don’t know how to comply with the law.
Brussels has so far resisted repeated calls to delay or withdraw the legislation because it sees a need to end the EU’s contribution to deforestation, the second leading cause of climate change after the burning of fossil fuels.
A Commission spokesperson said it would respond to the ECA’s letter to help it comply with the new law.
“As has been repeatedly emphasized … we are working closely and with full transparency with all stakeholders to help them prepare to comply with their legal obligations,” the spokesperson said.
Under the EUDR, importers of various coffee, cocoa, cattle, timber, soybeans, palm oil, rubber and related products must prove their goods are not grown on deforested land after 2020.
One of the measures required is that importers must create digital maps of their supply chains and have access to the land where their raw materials are grown, including millions of small farms in remote rural areas.
Critics say geolocation requirements are too complex in global supply chains that involve not only millions of farms but also numerous intermediaries whose data cannot be easily verified.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the EU is the world’s second-largest contributor to deforestation through imports.
