Overview
- MEPs backed a Council-leaning position that includes a one-year start delay for medium and large operators, longer for small firms, and a 2026 review clause, allowing talks with EU governments to begin.
- The law targets imports linked to forest loss by tracing commodities such as coffee, soy and beef, after the Commission initially proposed a December 30 launch with simplifying changes and a six-month grace period.
- Last-minute negotiations between the EPP, Renew and S&D failed, and the EPP won passage with support from ECR and the Patriots group.
- The vote extends a recent pattern in which the EPP teamed with far-right groups to weaken green reporting and corporate due diligence rules, drawing sharp criticism from S&D, Renew and the Greens.
- Centrist leaders signal continued cooperation due to limited institutional leverage, while far-right figures tout rising sway and insiders warn the alignment could shape debates on migration and the 2035 combustion-engine ban.