On 5 December, the European Parliament and the Council reached a deal on the European Commission’s proposal on deforestation-free products. The new law will require companies to trace their commodities back along the supply chain to prove that a forest was not recently cleared to produce it, or face fines. Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the future regulation as it will condition imports of beef and leather to deforestation-free standards, but regrets the exclusion of other animal products that contribute to deforestation, as well as the exclusion of other natural ecosystems beyond forests that are destroyed by EU-driven deforestation.
