Nigeria is not the only country asking the European Union to reconsider its decision to ban the importation of Cocoa into member-nations from December 30, 2024. Some other countries have joined in the move to have the EU shift the deadline. The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has imposed the deadline for failure to comply with the regulations stipulated in the law passed in June last year. The affected countries have, therefore, raised some issues, including lack of clarity in the conditions of the law. Towards this end, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Paraguay and Peru have now joined Nigeria to express concerns about the impact of the law.
The law seeks to ban the importation of seven commodities into the European markets from December 31, 2024.
The seven commodities are cocoa, coffee, beef, palm oil, soy, rubber and wood.
A report by the World Trade Organisation showed that the countries, joined by several others, expressed concerns about the trade impact of the new regulation. While they acknowledged the policy’s objective, they criticised the EUDR as a unilateral measure with a punitive nature.
They also noted the lack of clear guidance on enforcement regulations, with only three months remaining before implementation. The report said, “Several members highlighted the risk of significant trade disruptions, particularly for small farmers in developing economies who may struggle to comply and face exclusion from the European market due to capacity.
“Others argued that the regulation was unnecessary and created excessive burdens for producers in economies with low deforestation risk.”
Some of the members expressed the need for further consultations with the EU on the matter, and urged the EU to delay the implementation of the regulation and the enforcement of penalties until these challenges are addressed.
The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, CFAN and the National Cocoa Committee had written the EU asking for a reconsideration of the deadline. That request has now been supported by the this group of countries and the WTO , a world body that is capable of bearing influence on global issues. The WTO noted that it submitted a letter to the EU on September 11, requesting the suspension of the deforestation law.
