Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Food Alexander Yotsev, Deyan Stratev, and Miroslav Marinov and a US delegation Monday discussed Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 31, 2023 on the Making Available on the Union Market and the Export from the Union of Certain Commodities and Products Associated with Deforestation and Forest Degradation. On the delegation are representatives of the US Department of Agriculture and the US Mission to the EU, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food reported.
The Regulation obliges operators to provide a declaration for a thorough check when importing and exporting from the EU commodities that are associated with deforestation and forest degradation, like soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber and some of their derived products, such as leather, chocolate, tyres, or furniture. The declaration should serve as evidence that the goods were produced on land that was not subject to deforestation after December 31, 2020, and that the wooden materials have not caused forest degradation after that date.
It transpired during the meeting that the Agriculture Ministry's first task under the Regulation is to determine the competent bodies and present them to the European Commission by the year's end. Once the Commission gives instructions on the Regulation's application, a more active dialogue will begin with business representatives. Criteria will have to be developed determining the countries' level of risk and how they will be grouped. Given the short time frames, it is possible to discuss a certain postponement of the Regulation's application.
/RY/
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