EU brands just four countries as 'high risk' under deforestation law

The European Union is going back to its environmental and climate ambitions in the name of competitiveness. The European Green Pact, adopted five years ago, does not have much to do with its initial shape. The latest example, the fight against deforestation, was at the heart of an extremely important and strict regulation, now emptied of its substance.

EUDR high-risk countries revealed

EUDR country risk classifications revealed: see which nations are high, low, or standard risk for deforestation under new EU rules

EU anti-deforestation law spares all major exporters, including Brazil

The European Commission has published its long-awaited anti-deforestation law, but left all EU countries, as well as deforestation hotspots like Brazil and Indonesia, off the high-risk list.

EU brands just four countries as 'high risk' under deforestation law

BRUSSELS -Commodities from just four countries will face the strictest checks under the European Union's anti-deforestation law, with major forest nations including Brazil and Indonesia spared the toughest rules. Read more at straitstimes.com.

In response to the European Commission's final "reference" criteria for countries under its anti-forestation law, Giulia Bondi, a senior EU activist at Global Witness, says that "the benchmarking system unfortunately does not achieve what science demands, as countries like Brazil and Paraguay are not classified as 'high risk', despite the fact that the deforestation crisis consumes climate-critical forests such as the Amazon and the Big Chaco." …

The European regulation on imported deforestation, the entry into force of which was postponed until the end of 2025, ranks countries according to the level of risk (low standard, high) they present in this field. The European Commission...