ETRMA: EU deforestation regs need ‘clear traceability guidelines’ for rubber

Brussels – The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has called on the EU institutions to provide “clear guidelines on traceability”, following a provisional vote on the EU’s draft deforestation regulation.

The vote on 6 Dec will restrict the import of various commodities, including natural rubber, coffee, cocoa and palm oil, into the region.

The new regulation, according to the European Commission, sets strong mandatory due diligence rules for companies that want to place relevant products on the EU market or export them.

As part of the regulation, operators and traders will have to prove that the products are both deforestation-free, i.e. are produced on land that was not subject to deforestation after 31 Dec 2020.

Furthermore, the companies will need to prove that their products are legal and compliant with all relevant applicable laws in force in the country of production.

Companies will be required to collect “precise geographical information” on the farmland where the commodities that they source have been grown, so that these commodities can be checked for compliance.

Natural rubber was not originally included in the list of EU commodities but was later added by the European Parliament in September.

Commenting on the 6 Dec vote, ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp said the industry firmly supported initiatives aimed at halting deforestation and forest degradation across the natural rubber supply chain.

“Although we share the same values and commitment to fighting deforestation, traceability to the ‘plot of land’ is still particularly challenging in the natural rubber sector,” she added.

This, Cinaralp said, is because of the social structure and organisation of local communities as well as the fragmentation and complexity of the natural rubber supply chain.

As a result, she emphasised that provisions on how to implement the law will be key and are needed “as soon as possible”.

“Traceability requirements must be clarified, and we look forward to working on developing effective and implementable rules through commodity-specific guidelines,” she added.

Cinaralp concluded her remarks by reiterating ETRMA’s commitment to preserving biodiversity and working towards zero-deforestation natural rubber supply chains.