The law, approved in 2023 by the majority of Member States and the European Parliament, was due to come into force in December 2024. However, the decision to postpone its implementation is a response to pressure from conservative sectors, both inside and outside the EU. Producing countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria and Indonesia had expressed their opposition, arguing that the legislation disproportionately affected small producers and did not comply with national laws.
The European Commission's recent decision to postpone the entry into force of the anti-deforestation law for one year has raised concerns among environmentalists, legislators and climate policy experts. This legislation, which sought to stop the entry into the European market of products such as wood, coffee and cocoa from deforested lands, especially in critical areas such as the Amazon, has been seen as a step backwards in the European Union's green agenda.
Countries such as the United States, Australia and influential EU members such as Germany also supported the postponement.
This delay in legislation has been seen as a worrying sign of a retreat in Europe's environmental commitment. Critics such as Anaïs Berthie of ClientEarth have pointed out that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has given in to industrial and political pressure, weakening the environmental commitments the EU had made in the fight against climate change.
The postponement of this law adds to other measures that have weakened the European green agenda, such as the relaxation of environmental requirements in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the delay in the approval of the biodiversity law. In addition, the reduction of protection for species such as the wolf has been another blow to environmental policies. These changes have generated the perception that environmental priority has been displaced by political and economic interests.
At the start of her mandate, Von der Leyen had made the European Green Deal one of the pillars of her administration, but in recent months the focus has shifted to the EU's industrial competitiveness. Instead of a "green transition", there is now talk of a "clean and fair transition", which has generated mistrust in some quarters who fear that these changes reflect a dilution of environmental commitments.
Despite the appointment of Teresa Ribera as Executive Vice-President for Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition, the focus seems to have shifted towards the adaptation of European industry to global competition. Critics point out that the environment has taken a backseat, with less priority on the official agenda.
The postponement of the anti-deforestation law also reflects a shift in the political balance in Europe, where the rise of far-right and populist parties has made it difficult to implement climate policies. These parties criticise the green agenda for its economic impact, and the growing representation of right-wing governments in the European Council has dampened enthusiasm for environmental ambition.
The global context is not favourable to the climate agenda either. Wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, together with rising living costs in Europe, have fuelled the rise of populisms that blame green policies for economic problems. Meanwhile, the estimated costs of meeting EU climate targets, amounting to an additional €620.000 billion each year until 2030, represent a significant burden at a time of growing economic uncertainty.
Against this backdrop, the future of EU environmental policies appears uncertain. Although the Green Deal remains on the official agenda, the growing influence of conservative and populist parties in European institutions raises doubts about the fulfilment of other commitments, such as the ban on the sale of combustion vehicles from 2035.
The postponement of the anti-deforestation law marks a critical moment for the European green agenda. Political and economic pressure casts doubt on the EU's ability to continue leading the fight against climate change, creating uncertainty about the future of its policies in an increasingly conservative and challenging environment.
