Germany supporting global forest protection – implementation of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products entering a key phase
Tropical forests are home to more than two thirds of the world’s known animal and plant species. They produce a significant share of global oxygen and store large quantities of carbon. They are thus looked on as the Earth’s air conditioning system. Tropical forests are extremely important for all of us because they regulate regional and global water and climate systems. In view of the continuing decline of forests, especially in the tropics, effective measures are needed to put a halt to deforestation. The German government is supporting this with numerous measures. At European level, the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) ensures that products entering the EU market are not associated with deforestation or forest degradation and that the rights of indigenous peoples are upheld.
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider remarked: “Tropical rainforests are indispensable – for the climate, for biodiversity and for the millions of people around the world whose livelihoods directly depend on them. When rainforests in other parts of the world disappear, it impacts the whole of humankind. Now, the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products has established an important framework: From now on, products and commodities may only be placed on the European market if their production does not come at the expense of forests in the Global South. Working with partners both at home and in countries of origin such as Brazil, Ghana and Peru, Germany supports a fair, effective and low-bureaucracy implementation of the regulation.”
Climate change and biodiversity loss are intensifying, further exacerbated by continuing deforestation and forest degradation. Forest fires, extreme weather events and floods are causing ever more serious damage around the world, whether in the tropics or in the EU. The German government wants to protect the public and the economy from this harm.
The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products is thus a milestone for international forest conservation and climate action. The goal is to ensure that agricultural commodities consumed in the EU, such as cocoa, soya, palm oil, coffee, rubber and wood are sustainable. That significantly bolsters the fight against climate change and at the same time is an investment in our future.
The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products has been in force since 2023. Its application is due to begin at the end of this year. Effective and reliable implementation of the deforestation regulation is essential to ensure companies have planning certainty. At the same time, the German government advocates avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy.
Background information
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) entered into force on 30 June 2023. Its aim is to ensure that products and commodities are only permitted in the EU if they can be shown not to contribute to deforestation or forest degradation. The regulation applies to soya, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, beef products and rubber, and to selected products made from those commodities.
The core requirements of the regulation are:
- Due diligence: Companies must ensure and document that their products are deforestation-free and from legal sources.
- Geolocation: The origin of all relevant products must be given at plot level.
- Access to the market for compliant products only: Products may only be placed on the market or exported if they meet the requirements of the regulation.
- The regulation applies to large and medium companies from 30 December 2025 and to micro and small companies from 30 June 2026.
Within the EU, Germany is especially working to ensure the regulation is implemented not only effectively and without unnecessary bureaucracy, but also in a socially just that takes a responsible approach to development
International Day for the Conservation of Tropical Forests:
The International Day for the Conservation of Tropical Forests was launched in 1989 by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is celebrated every year on 14 September, the birthday of Alexander von Humboldt. The German naturalist was a pioneer of modern ecology and one of the first to recognise the global connection between climate, vegetation and humans. The International Day for the Conservation of Tropical Forests highlights how closely the future of the tropics is linked to our own way of life and reminds us that our actions here have direct consequences for forests on the other side of the world.