EU Moves to Delay Deforestation Rule After Huge Pushback

The European Commission will propose to delay for 12 months the implementation of its law to combat global deforestation, yielding to pressure from producer countries and industries. The regulation, which was to come into force in December, seeks to reduce deforestation linked to imports of products such as coffee, cocoa, soybeans and meat. However, it has generated criticism from countries such as Brazil and Indonesia, concerned about the impact on small farmers, and from EU members, who fear supply disruptions and inflation. The law requires complex traceability systems to ensure that products do not come from deforested land from 2020.