EU renovation regulations: Austria has to act before it is too late!

EU renovation regulations: Austria has to act before it is too late!

Tremendic 80,640 hectares-this is the shocking area of ​​forests that have been lost in December 2024 since the original application period of the EU Revision Ordinance (Euden). This corresponds to almost the double area of ​​Vienna and, due to the incessant deforestation for soy, palm oil and beef, not only brings biodiversity in danger, but also threatens the livelihood of millions of people worldwide. These alarming reports come from the human rights organization Südwind, which demands urgent measures by the Austrian government on the international day of the forest. Maria Hammer, spokeswoman for Südwind, warns: "Every minute a soccer field disappears on the forest." In view of this catastrophic situation, the organization calls for an immediate implementation of the EU regulation.

EU regulation as a key to protecting the forests

According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the new EU Ordinance for Delimation-Free Products (Eudr) will ensure that only raw materials may be introduced into the EU without any connection. This regulation came into force on June 30, 2023 and will be applied from December 30, 2025. You will have to implement smaller companies from June 30, 2026. The Eudr should not only protect the environment, but also maintain humanitarian standards by respecting human rights in production countries. Compliance with procedures for companies is of central importance.

The international nutritional and agricultural organization FAO reports that between 1990 and 2020 420 million hectares of forest were lost worldwide, and another 10 million hectares are added annually, with 90 percent of this deforestation due to non-sustainable agriculture. In order to counteract this worrying development, the Eudr relies on binding due diligence for companies that deal with raw materials such as soy, beef and palm oil. These measures are a crucial step to combat illegal wood and improve forest protection through legally binding regulations in the entire EU.

Both the Austrian and the European government are now facing the challenge of implementing the measures taken efficiently and without bureaucratic hurdles. The aim is to not only understand the deformation -free supply chains as a theoretical concept, but to actively implement them into practice in order to preserve the global forests and to promote sustainable agriculture. Each action counts to preserve our forests from disappearance, as the situation currently shows. The events are alarming and the time is pushing to act.