EU Commission proposes postponement of EU regulation on deforestation-free supply chains by one year
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Peter Liese: Entry into force on 30/12/2024 would have caused chaos / Chance for sensible dialogue and avoidance of unnecessary bureaucracy through clarification
The European Commission has proposed postponing the controversial regulation on deforestation by one year. The regulation had been heavily criticised not only by forest owners and farmers, but also by many economic operators and, above all, third countries, as the necessary conditions for an unbureaucratic implementation are not in place. “I very much welcome the proposal and am sure that my group and the entire Parliament will adopt it in the short term. The regulation entering into force on 30 December 2024 would have plunged us into irresponsible chaos. Many of the conditions for application are not clear and many third countries are rightly complaining. Small farmers, e.g. in Latin America, need much more support and we must ensure an unbureaucratic implementation. None of this is possible in the few remaining months. Of course, deforestation is a huge problem. Every minute, forests the size of eleven football pitches disappear. This is a disaster for the global climate as for other things, but we have to do it the right way and get those affected by the law more involved. Many third countries that want to take fundamental action against deforestation have so far been unable to use the instrument. Medium-sized coffee roasters that import fair-trade organic coffee complained, for example, that the rules could only be implemented promptly by large corporations. By rushing it into force, we would have done a disservice to the cause,” explained Peter Liese, environmental policy spokesman for the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats).
The Commission presents a draft for Council recommendations on smoke-free environments
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Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health / Extremely important to protect children from passive smoking / Equating tobacco and e-cigarettes is not helpful
On Tuesday, the European Commission presented a draft for Council conclusions on smoke- and aerosol-free environments. The goal is for the Council of Ministers to adopt the recommendations in the coming months and for the member states to then implement them. The aim is to ban smoking in all public buildings, as well as in certain outdoor areas, e.g., at children's playgrounds.
Dr. Peter Liese, the health policy spokesperson for the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP-Christian Democrats) and a physician, stated: “It is important that we adopt measures at all levels to protect people from tobacco smoke. Smoking is particularly dangerous for the smokers themselves. There is nothing better one can do for their health than to quit smoking. Other health protection measures such as exercise and healthy eating are also important, but stopping smoking brings the most significant benefits by far. Protecting other people, especially children, from tobacco is also extremely sensible.”
Read more: The Commission presents a draft for Council recommendations on smoke-free environments
Finally a decision to downgrade the protection status of wolves
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Peter Liese: Decision is overdue / Grazing livestock farmers are suffering extremely
“I am very happy about this decision. People are worried about the increase of wolves in Europe. It has long ceased to be an endangered species, but threatens grazing livestock in particular. Livestock grazing is a near-natural form of agriculture, and it is being pushed back more and more by the wolf. It is therefore good that we finally see the necessary action,” commented Dr Peter Liese, environmental policy spokesperson for the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), on the decision by the EU Member States to downgrade the protection status of the wolf. The European Parliament had already called for this in 2022. At the end of last year, the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen made a corresponding proposal. However, it took Member States very long to finally agree.
Read more: Finally a decision to downgrade the protection status of wolves
Ursula von der Leyen presents a strong team
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Peter Liese: Wopke Hoekstra and Jessika Roswall stand for a smart reorientation of climate and environmental policy, retention of targets and more consideration for industry, small and medium-sized enterprises and agriculture / Own Commissioner for cutting red tape an important sign / Hungarian candidate for Health Commissioner is viewed critically
Dr. Peter Liese, environmental policy spokesperson for the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), welcomed the selection of Commissioners by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the climate and environment dossiers. Wopke Hoesktra will remain Climate Commissioner. “In contrast to his predecessor Frans Timmermans, Wopke Hoekstra has been very active in international climate policy and was involved in a major breakthrough at the climate conference in Dubai just a few weeks after his appointment. We cannot stop climate change on our own, but must focus much more on global emissions. Wopke Hoekstra is the right man for the job. Jessika Roswall, the current Swedish Minister for Europe, is to become Commissioner for the Environment. I think this is a good choice. We need a more pragmatic approach to environmental policy, above all less bureaucracy, and in the event of conflicting objectives, e.g. between bans on chemicals and climate protection, decisions must be taken in favour of climate protection.”