Ghana and other exporters to the European Union (EU) have been granted an additional 12 months to address environmental issues impacting products like cocoa, as the EU considers extending the timeline for its Deforestation-Free Product Regulation. Originally scheduled to take effect on December 30, 2024, the regulation’s postponement responds to concerns from EU trade partners regarding readiness for compliance.
Introduced on June 29, 2023, the regulation was designed to prevent commodities such as cocoa, palm oil, wood, soy, rubber, and their derived products from contributing to deforestation or forest degradation in the EU or globally. If approved, the new deadlines will apply to large and medium-sized companies by December 2025, with small and medium-sized enterprises following in December 2026.
The regulation requires operators and traders to prove that their products do not originate from recently deforested land or contribute to forest degradation, ensuring that the EU market does not inadvertently support environmental degradation abroad. The proposal has already received European Council approval, pending a decision from the European Parliament.
