While the European parliament has voted to adopt the regulations,member nations of the European Union must ratify the rules and it remains to be seen if they vote to implement them.
But the controversy may create a headache for Australia’s long-running push to cut a trade deal with the EU,with European farmers already sceptical of increasing trade access to a major export nation like Australia. British farmers also lobbied against atrade deal with Australia,which the United Kingdom nevertheless inked in May.
European parliament official Christophe Hansensaid the EU was responsible for about 10 per cent of global deforestation due to the products it consumed and the new regulations were designed to halt the environmental losses.
Loading
They would apply to companies selling beef,cocoa,coffee,palm oil,soya as well as wood and furniture,including goods that have been made or fed with these products.
“We are serious about fighting climate change and biodiversity loss ... we have no choice but to ramp up our efforts to halt global deforestation,” Hansen said.
Farmers defended Australian agriculture’s environmental record despite 680,688 hectares of woody vegetation being cleared inQueensland alone in 2018-19,mostly on grazing land.