The European Parliament has voted on 13. September 2022. in favour of a strong new EU anti-deforestation law, which would for the first time ban products linked to the destruction of forests and human rights violations.

Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Senior Forest Policy Officer at WWF’s European Policy Office: “The vote in the Parliament today for a strong deforestation law has been a clear yes: a yes to reducing the EU’s footprint, and a yes to protecting forests and savannahs and the rights of indigenous peoples. It has also been a yes to the calls of EU citizens who do not want to fuel nature destruction through their consumption.

A recent poll showed 80% of EU citizens from all political affiliations and age groups support a strong EU law to prevent companies selling products linked to the destruction of forests as well as other natural ecosystems and violations of human rights.

Since 2020 through the #Together4Forests campaign led by WWF, 1.2 million citizens, scientists and companies have been asking for a law which ensures that only nature destruction-free products end up on the EU market. Over 50,000 people have sent additional letters to their national ministers earlier this year, and more than 206,000 messages and memes have been sent to Members of the European Parliament during the last two summer months.

Sustainable forestry: EU Parliament’s work to fight deforestation