European Union lawmakers have backed a proposal for a law that would ban the sale in the 27-nation bloc of agriculture products linked to the destruction of forests. The EU Parliament will now start negotiations on the final text with EU member states.
Thi is reported by ProAgro Group with reference to PBS News.
Once approved, the law would force companies and producers to give assurances that products are “deforestation-free.” Businesses would be forced to verify that agricultural goods sold in the EU have not bee made on “deforested or degraded land anywhere in the world,” the Parliament said.
“Acknowledging that the EU is responsible for around 10 percent of global deforestation, we have no choice but to ramp up our efforts to halt global deforestation,” said Christophe Hansen, the lawmaker in charge of the Parliament’s report.
In addition, MEPs proposed that banks and financial institutions should be covered by the law to prevent them from investing in projects linked to deforestation.
