Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: The European Union (EU) is a major importer of forest-risk commodities (FRCs) and thereby bears significant responsibility for the dangerous trend of global deforestation and forest degradation. On 17 November 2021, the European Commission took a courageous first step towards reducing the EU’s global deforestation footprint, by putting forward a legislative proposal to regulate trade in FRCs. The article analyses this proposal and explains why we consider it to be necessary and justified. Although we identify some important shortcomings in the proposal, particularly in relation to the protection of land tenure rights, we argue that the EU has a moral responsibility to avoid being complicit in the destruction of forests worldwide. We also suggest that the proposed regulation needs to be better designed to be compatible with the law of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and notably with regards to its country benchmarking system and cooperation with affected exporting countries.
Source: Journal of Environmental Law
DOI: 10.1093/jel/eqac002
Authors: Gracia Marín Durán, Joanne Scott
Institutions: University College London, European University Institute
Language: English
Topic: World Trade Organization Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,153
Funder: European University Institute
OpenAlex ID: W4210720719