Answer for question E-001107/25

(English version) Question for written answer E-001107/25 to the Commission Sigrid Friis (Renew) (14 March 2025) Subject: Country benchmarking in the EU Deforestation Regulation The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) (1) was approved by the co-legislators in May 2023 as the EU’s flagship initiative for combating global deforestation and assuming responsibility for the environmental impact of EU imports and consumption on forest ecosystems. As part of the implementation process, the Commission is expected to present a country benchmarking methodology framework by 30 June 2025. This framework is a critical component of the regulation, as it will classify countries as low-, standardor high-risk, based on their levels of deforestation. However, a recent draft of the proposed benchmarking system has received criticism from producers, European countries and civil society organisations, who have expressed concerns about the Commission’s potentially adopting a limited or insufficiently rigorous approach. In the annex to its November 2024 communication (2) outlining the general principles of the benchmarking strategy, the Commission indicates the establishment of a threshold for the annual change in deforestation (measured in hectares) and the annual deforestation rate (expressed as a percentage). A country’s classification as low-risk will depend on whether it remains within this threshold. Could the Commission clarify how this threshold will be determined and explain the...