EU Deforestation Law: EPP and far right vote to further dismantle the European Green Deal

The Party of European Socialists condemns today's European Parliament plenary vote on the EU Deforestation Regulation. Once more the European People's Party has aligned with the far right to undermine the effectiveness of the regulation and water down the European Green Deal as a whole.

PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck stated:

"The EPP continuous alignment with the far right is deeply shameful, for democracy and for the environmental legislation in hand. This is a trend we continue witnessing, especially on environmental policy. The EPP's agenda is to completely water down the European Green Deal. And they will do so whatever the democratic cost.

The EPP continues using simplification is a pretext to push their deregulation agenda. But deregulation has adverse effects. Companies need a stable legal framework they can trust. With this vote the EPP is not putting only forests, nature and biodiversity under further strain, it is also putting companies under legislative uncertainty. The EPP is accountable for environmental degradation and business costs."

The European Parliament plenary voted for the postponement of the implementation of the EU Deforestation Law by one year to December 2026. The vote further waters down the Law by weakening due diligence and traceability requirements. The EU Deforestation Law initially was to be implemented by large companies in December 2024 but was already postponed by one year to end of 2025. The aim of the Law is to ensure that commodities placed on the EU market do not contribute to global deforestation or forest degradation. The Law is central to the European Green Deal and a pivotal in protecting nature and biodiversity worldwide.