Caobisco joins major cross-sector organisations calling for urgent release of EUDR guidelines
Caobisco European confectionery body, led by its president Can Buharali, pictured opening the 2024 World Confectionery Conference) has joined key groups in calling for EUDR guidelines to be released. Pic: Dafos
The key European confectionery trade body, Caobisco, has joined with the European Cocoa Association and several other influential groups in calling on the EU Commission for an immediate release of guidelines surrounding the implementation of the EUDR regulations, reports Neill Barston.
Notably, the landmark piece of legislation designed to hold mandatory business operating conditions for companies to prove they are deforestation free, as well as seeking to provide human rights protections for farming communities, has been widely welcomed – though major concerns have been expressed from cocoa producing nations in Ivory Coast, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil, over the fast-approaching arrival of the scheme.
Agreed 18 moths ago, the new EU laws, which relate to commodities including cocoa, soy and palm oil as well as other products including rubber, are being brought in alongside related corporate due diligence legislation, are slated to be introduced from December 30 – but organisations including Caobisco have raised the issue of the guidelines surrounding its implementation are yet to have materialised, with under 100 days to go until the scheme’s start.
The issue was discussed at this year’s World Confectionery Conference, with the event being opened by Caobisco’s newly-elected president, Can Buharali, who noted that it welcomed moves to bring in the new raft of legislation governing the sector, but believed that its operating terms must be as clear as possible to ensure that it is delivered satisfactorily and done in a spirt of collaboration. (Watch our exclusive video event review here for our WCC conference in Brussels last month).
Consequently, the collective group of industry bodies has written to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, urging her to ensure the release of EUDR guidelines as a priority to ensure the scheme’s success.
Specifically, they have asked for the release of the updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and guidance documents to address the concerns raised on the Information System – the underlying geomapping monitoring programme designed to deliver complete transparency for the venture. As recently revealed at the the World Cocoa Conference held in Brussels this April, concerns emerged that the satellites, and software related to it, where some way short of being completely accurate in their operation – which is a critical factor for the overall delivery of the frameworks linked to the new laws.
According to the collective of industry bodies including Caobisco, with the key resources of guidelines, it believed that “compliance with the EUDR will be significantly hampered, creating uncertainty and undermining their substantial investments toward meeting the regulation’s goals.”
As the group noted, by delaying the publication of these resources, the European Commission risks creating obstacles for businesses as they strive to align with sustainability objectives while adhering to new legal obligations. It urged the Commission to prioritise the dissemination of guidance and tools immediately, recognising that a collaborative approach is vital for both protecting and restoring the world’s forests and ensuring economic viability for farming communities affected by the legislation.
Industry call for action
Moreover, in a related move surrounding EUDR, confectionery impact brand Tony’s Chocolonely has called on the EU to stick firm to its plans of implementing the new regulations – in the wake of pleas in the other direction from the German Chancellor to delay the implementation of the scheme.
The Dutch chocolate business (image from Tony’s Chocolonely) said in a social media post: “We’ve had decades to prepare – deforestation is out of control.. it’s time to take a stand for EUDR. At Tony’s Chocolonely, we exist to end exploitation in the cocoa industry together. This includes fighting the three main issues in cocoa: lack of a living income, child labor, ánd deforestation. That’s why we fully back the European Union Deforestation Regulation (hashtag#EUDR). Cocoa is one of the main drivers of deforestation in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, and we won’t stand by while some try to delay or reopen this crucial regulation. The time to act is now.”
