EU regulation on deforestation: Council agrees to postpone implementation date

The Council today adopted its position on a specific amendment to the EU regulation on deforestation, postponing its implementation date by 12 months. This postponement will allow third countries, Member States, operators and traders to be fully prepared to meet their due diligence obligations, i.e. to ensure that certain raw materials and products sold in the EU or exported from the EU are free from deforestation. This includes products from cattle, timber, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee or rubber, as well as some of their by-products.