Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
On this Mother Earth Day, let us come together to protect our planet and our future. This is what was stated in a tweet on the official website of the European Parliament, Saturday, and it also stated, “A new law approved by MEPS is a game-changer in the fight against deforestation. We can all make a difference by choosing products that are sourced responsibly.”
According to a statement by the European Parliament, more area than the EU was lost due to deforestation between 1990 and 2020, with EU consumption causing about 10% of the losses.
Livestock, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybeans, lumber, rubber, coal and printed paper products are covered by the new rules.
Human rights and indigenous rights have been added as additional requirements
To combat climate change and biodiversity loss, the new law requires companies to ensure that products sold in the EU do not lead to deforestation and forest degradation.
While no country or commodity will be banned, companies will only be allowed to sell products in the EU if the supplier of the product issues a so-called “due diligence” statement certifying that the product does not come from land that has been deforested or has led to forest degradation, including In that irreplaceable primary forests, after December 31, 2020.
At Parliament's request, companies will also have to check that these products comply with the relevant legislation of the country of production, including human rights, and that they respect the rights of affected indigenous peoples.