Protection against deforestation | Open letter to Merz: Deforestation regulation threatens clear-cutting

Several environmental organizations accuse Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) of attempting to undermine a key EU regulation on deforestation-free supply chains . In an open letter to the Chancellor, German Environmental Aid (DUH), NABU, WWF, Oroverde, Global Nature Fund, Robin Wood , and BUND warn of a regressive step in the Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR). They demand that the law be implemented unchanged by the end of the year, as planned.

The criticism is directed at a letter that Merz sent to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the beginning of July, which was obtained by "nd." While the Chancellor supports the EUDR in principle, he criticizes the fact that companies in Germany and other EU member states are burdened with "disproportionate bureaucratic requirements," even though "virtually no deforestation takes place" there. He advocates for a "zero-risk variant" that would exempt German companies from documentation requirements when marketing wood, soy, or meat.

Environmental organizations criticize this: "Without mandatory proof of origin, new loopholes for risky products threaten, which would effectively render the implementation of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products ineffective." They warn that countries classified as risk-free could become "hubs for illegal products."

Furthermore, the retroactive exemption would unsettle economic operators and penalize companies that have already largely implemented the regulation. A large proportion of companies are already prepared, including many small and medium-sized enterprises. They have invested in traceable supply chains and are able to implement the requirements. Environmental organizations point to companies such as Tchibo, Ferrero, Danone, and the Neumann Coffee Group, which have all advocated for a timely start of the EUDR at the end of the year.

Just recently, in a joint letter, 18 EU agriculture ministers also called on the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and the EU Commissioner for the Environment to significantly simplify the regulation on deforestation-free products – especially for countries with a low deforestation risk. They also criticized the high bureaucratic hurdles and additional costs, and warned that the EUDR, in its current form, disadvantages European companies and encourages production relocations outside the EU. A few days later, the EU Parliament rejected the proposed categorization of countries into three risk levels – however, this decision is not binding on the Commission.

Meanwhile, the Austrian human rights organization Südwind has presented a "fact check" on the EU regulation. In it, the organization argues that deforestation is also a problem in EU countries and that the Deforestation Regulation aims to combat not only deforestation but also forest degradation.

Furthermore, the warnings about excessive bureaucracy are unfounded: The regulation only applies to the raw material wood when a so-called primary forest is converted into agricultural land, i.e., a forest that has not been cultivated by humans. At least in Austria, however, there are practically no primary forests left, and the same applies to Germany.

The only significant change for forest owners is the one-time provision of geolocation data for their entire area. According to a report by the Austrian newspaper "Standard," the false claim that each tree must be marked individually is often spread in this context – which would result in significantly increased bureaucratic effort.

The EU regulation on deforestation-free products has been in force since June 2023. It was originally scheduled to apply from the end of 2024, but due to pressure from conservative and right-wing parties in the EU Parliament, the start date was postponed to the end of 2025.

The regulation requires companies to prove that goods such as palm oil, beef, soy, and timber do not come from deforestation, forest degradation, or illegal production. The law does not distinguish between European and non-European companies; all those selling such products in the EU must comply with the rules.