COTANCE credits politicians for EUDR breakthrough
The secretary general of COTANCE, Gustavo González-Quijano has paid tribute to members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who “worked very hard” to point out the flaws in the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
His comments came following an announcement from the EU Commissioner for the environment, Jessika Roswall, on September 23 that a new one-year delay for the regulation is now likely to happen. This is still subject to approval from legislators in Brussels and in the national governments of the EU member states.
Speaking at Lineapelle in Milan the following day, Mr González-Quijano, said that thanks to the work of a number of politicians, it had become clear to the Commission that the systems needed for EUDR to work will not be ready by the current deadline, December 31, 2025.
“There was an incorrect assessment of the volume of data that the system would have to cope with,” he said.
The secretary general of the leather industry’s main representative body in the European Union paid particular tribute to MEPs Christine Schneider and Peter Liese for the dedication and clarity with which they have sought to point out the flaws in the regulation as it stands.
It remains to be seen if, in the discussions that follow, “further simplification” of EUDR might occur, Mr González-Quijano said.
