EU bans deforestation products

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The European Union reached an agreement Tuesday to ban the import of several products considered the "main drivers of deforestation," including coffee, cocoa and soy, the European Commission said.

"The new law will ensure that a set of key goods placed on the (European Union) market will no longer contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the EU and elsewhere in the world," the commission said, praising the decision that the bloc's member states and the EU Parliament reached overnight.

"When the new rules enter into force, all relevant companies will have to conduct strict due diligence if they place on the EU market."

The list of products banned — which includes palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber — have been identified as a "driver of deforestation" if they came from deforested land after December 2020.