Companies will have one more year to comply with new EU rules to prevent deforestation that will ban the sale in the EU of products sourced from deforested land. The European Parliament, through a large majority, has approved a political agreement to delay the application of the new rules.
Large operators and traders will now have to respect the obligations of this regulation as of 30 December 2025, and micro- and small enterprises from 30 June 2026.
This additional time is intended to help companies around the world implement the rules more smoothly from the date of application, without undermining the objectives of the law. The deforestation regulation seeks to fight climate change and biodiversity loss by preventing deforestation related to EU consumption of products from cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, soya, wood, rubber, charcoal and printed paper.
Under the Regulation, any operator or trader who places these commodities on the EU market, or exports from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation.
The Commission had proposed postponing the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year in response to concerns raised by EU member states, non-EU countries, traders and operators that they would not be able to fully comply with the rules if applied from the end of 2024.
Directive brings in force stricter enforcement of road traffic rules
The EU has adopted a new directive aimed at strengthening the cross-border enforcement of road traffic rules as accidents on Europe’s roads kept resulting in an increasing number of deaths and injuries.
While previous regulations improved compliance among non-resident drivers, approximately 40% of cross-border offences still go unpunished due to difficulties in identifying offenders and enforcing fines. The updated rules address these gaps by enhancing cooperation between Member States, improving offender identification, and streamlining the enforcement of fines.
The directive targets not only serious offences like speeding and driving under the influence but also addresses other dangerous behaviours, such as failing to keep a safe distance, dangerous overtaking, improper parking or stopping, and crossing solid white lines. Additional violations include driving in the wrong direction, overloading vehicles, failing to yield to emergency service vehicles, and misuse of emergency corridors.
Rules road safety-related access restrictions, and hit-and-run incidents will also be more rigorously enforced.
Member States will need to transpose them into national laws within two and a half years.
Council signs off on new rules for less waste and more re-use
The European Council has formally adopted a new regulation on packaging and packaging waste, which aims to significantly reduce waste generation while promoting sustainable packaging solutions. The regulation sets binding targets for re-use, restricts certain types of single-use packaging, and requires businesses to minimise the amount of packaging used. It covers the full life cycle of packaging, ensuring that all stages, from production to disposal, align with sustainability goals.
The regulation also includes labelling and marking requirements, which are designed to help consumers make informed choices and sort packaging correctly. Among the new rules is a requirement for packaging to include a minimum percentage of recycled content by 2030 and 2040, with single-use plastic bottles needing to include up to 65% recycled material by 2040.
Businesses will also be expected to minimise the weight and volume of packaging and avoid unnecessary materials, further reducing waste. The regulation also addresses harmful substances, which will be restricted in food-contact packaging if they exceed certain thresholds.
The regulation also includes labelling and marking requirements, which are designed to help consumers make informed choices and sort packaging correctly.
READ THE 19TH EDITION OF THE CORPORATE TIMES:
