On 29 June, the EU regulation on zero deforestation supply chains came into force.
With the new rules, companies exporting or placing on the EU market palm oil, cattle, soya, coffee, cocoa, wood and rubber or products derived from it such as beef, furniture or chocolate shall demonstrate that such products do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation.
After the entry into force, agents and traders have 18 months to prepare and comply with the new Community regulation.
Companies shall confirm that the product has been produced on land that has not been deforested or degraded by forest after 31 December 2020. The regulation applies impartially to products from both inside and outside the EU. Small businesses will benefit from special adjustments, such as a longer adaptation period.
The European Commission has published a FAQ document, in order to facilitate the understanding of the new rules to agents and traders, in particular SMEs, thus helping them to comply with the regulation.