2024-04-05 10:13:23
After the EU supply chain law and the renaturation law, ÖVP ministers are now blocking another fully negotiated EU law – Südwind sees this as a gross democratic political foul
Vienna (OTS) – In the run-up to the informal meeting of the EU agriculture ministers from April 7th to 9th, Südwind warns of a dangerous delay in the EU deforestation regulation that has already come into force. After the blockade of the EU Nature Restoration Law and the EU Supply Chain Act (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive), following Economics Minister Kocher, the next Austrian minister launched a single-handed attack on EU environmental legislation. In a letter to the EU Commission at the end of March, Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig, in the middle of the implementation phase, demanded that Austria be exempt from the rules of the EU Deforestation Regulation, thereby following the demands of Chamber of Agriculture President Josef Moosbrugger. Südwind sharply criticizes the Federal Minister’s actions and calls for immediate implementation of the regulation and effective forest protection in Austria too.
“The regulation is the result of a democratic legislative process lasting many years and is therefore a compromise between all member states, the industry, the producer countries and a number of interest groups. It is highly problematic when the implementation of a new regulation is simply ignored at the request of business representatives,” says Maria Hammer, Südwind spokeswoman for forest protection. “The deforestation regulation is the strongest existing instrument in global forest protection and an important means of combating the climate crisis.”
Deforestation is the second largest cause of CO2 emissions globally. At the same time, ecologically intact natural forests are disappearing at a record pace. Indigenous people in particular who defend themselves once morest forest destruction in affected regions such as South America, Southeastern Europe or Scandinavia are often confronted with repression and violence.
“The blockade recently announced by the Chamber of Agriculture and Federal Minister Totschnig is completely inadmissible. Austria must set a good example and ensure sufficient resources for control authorities and strict enforcement,” demands Südwind expert Hammer. “The Austrian timber lobby is now apparently trying to use half-truths to prevent an important climate and forest protection law that they should have implemented long ago. The Austrian federal government, like all other countries, has a duty to work once morest global forest destruction.”
Devastating signal for global rules of the game
Austria’s proposal to allow strict forest protection laws to apply only to countries in the Global South, but not within Europe, is putting international cooperation to a tough test and sending a devastating signal to global markets, companies and states. At the same time, those companies that are already working on a strong implementation of the deforestation regulation, as planned, are being punished.
Many of the arguments put forward by the Federal Minister do not stand up to a fact check: For example, clear-cut forests in Europe are still considered forests. The argument put forward by the Minister and Chamber of Agriculture that the forest area is increasing conceals overexploitation and forest damage. The alleged additional effort for forest owners must also be critically examined.
Südwind is therefore setting up one together with Global 2000 open letter to Federal Minister Totschnig and calls for the rapid and effective implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Background information is here available.
Questions & Contact:
Vincent Sufian
Communications Manager Südwind
0650 96 77577
vincent.sufiyan@suedwind.at
Maria Hammer
Südwind spokeswoman for forest protection
+43 1 405 55 15 – 326
maria.hammer@suedwind.at
1712312235
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