The agreement will ensure that consumers do not unknowingly become part of activities related to the destruction of forest ecosystems

The members of the European Union have agreed on a deal to fight global deforestation and forest degradation. Forests comprise 31% of the world’s total land area but this is shrinking rapidly. On December 6, 2022, the European Council and the European Parliament signed a provisional agreement regarding importing and exporting products related to the agricultural sector in the European Union.
The agreement will ensure that consumers do not unknowingly become part of activities related to the destruction of forest ecosystems. It will guarantee that the products are not from areas that come under forest protection laws.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that between 1990 and 2020, an area larger than the European Union was lost to deforestation. Due to this dangerous change, the political leaders of European and developed countries have been discussing a forest preservation deal for the last two years.
The EU agreement has been reached 12 months after the European Commission’s 2021 proposals. During the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow last year, the leaders emphasised on the importance of urgent conservation of forests. They also highlighted the role of biodiversity in achieving sustainable development goals in the world.
When the new rules come into effect, the companies in the supply chain will have to take strict precautions. Products that will be affected include palm oil, chocolate, meat, soy, coffee, cocoa, wood, furniture, and rubber. The companies will also need to collect accurate geographic information about the agricultural sector of the importing and exporting countries.
These are similar to laws that oversee the financial sector. A complete record of remittances in the finance sector is ensured in the member countries through frameworks like FATF. Under the European Convention on Forests, member states must ensure that non-compliance with the rules is effectively penalised.
The EU is a large economy. The new deal will help to prevent global deforestation and forest degradation. Experts believe the deal will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and damage to biodiversity. The COP 15-UN Biodiversity Conference is happening in Montreal from December 7-19. The Conference to the Parties (COP) will agree to a new set of goals for nature over the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process.
Recently, 650 scientists wrote a letter to the UK, EU, and US leadership. This letter makes a passionate appeal to stop burning trees (wood) for energy. The authors of this letter are not ordinary people but top scientists. These scientists are urging world leaders to stop burning trees for energy because it is destroying valuable habitats for wildlife. The letter has been written to US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and European Commission President Ursula von Der. The letter says that if world leaders agree to protect 30 percent of land and oceans by 2030 at a meeting in Montreal, they must commit to ending dependence on biomass energy from trees (wood, etc.). The letter says that “ensuring energy security is a major social challenge, but the answer is not to burn our precious forests.”
Environmentalists believe that the provisional deal signed by the EU leaders is a big success. It was a controversial subject as the European Union has been facing strong resistance from the countries with trade relations. For example, just a few days ago, Canada expressed concern over the EU’s proposed laws to prevent deforestation, saying that it amounts to unnecessary restrictions on trade.

The writer is a London-based researcher, author, and educator. He can be reached on Twitter@MIMazhar

Mazhar Iqbal Mazhar