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US lobbyists pushed to weaken EU deforestation law, report says October 18, 2026 · 4:54 · Economy and work · With Emma and Omar
We bring news and stories in clear English to help us understand the world. I’m joined by Omar, our columnist for the economy and work.
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Emma Welcome to Slow English FM. I’m Emma, and this is Economy and Work. We bring news and stories in clear English to help us understand the world. I’m joined by Omar, our columnist for the economy and work. Emma Omar, a report says US business groups met EU officials many times about the EU’s deforestation law. What did the report find, and why does this matter? Omar The Guardian reports findings from an investigation by Mighty Earth, an environmental watchdog. It says 24 major US companies, trade associations and industry groups discussed the law in at least 173 meetings with members of the European Parliament, and 178 meetings with senior European Commission officials. The meetings took place between July 2024 and July 2026. Mighty Earth says the organizations sought to influence the regulation. The counts are the investigation’s findings, as reported by The Guardian. Emma What does the law require? And which businesses could be affected? Omar The European Commission says the law covers goods including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood, as well as products made from them. Businesses that place these goods on the EU market, or export them from the EU, must show that they do not come from recently deforested land or contribute to forest damage. So the rules can matter to companies that trade in those goods, even if their business is not directly about forests. Emma The number of meetings is striking. Does that number show that the groups tried to weaken the law? Omar It shows that the groups discussed the law with EU officials often, according to Mighty Earth’s investigation. But a meeting count by itself does not tell us exactly what was said in each meeting, or prove that the law was changed because of them. The Guardian reports that the investigation says the organizations sought to influence the regulation. That is the report’s account of their aim, not a finding that every group had the same goal. Emma And the companies and industry groups have a different account of those meetings? Omar Yes. The Guardian reports that US company representatives and industry groups denied there was a concerted campaign to derail the rules. They said their meetings raised concerns about how the rules would be put into practice. That response matters: the report describes a dispute over what the engagement meant. We should not treat either the watchdog’s account of their aim or the groups’ explanation as proof of what happened in every meeting. Emma You mentioned how the rules would be put into practice. What is the concern behind that phrase? Omar It refers to implementation: the practical steps needed to follow the law. In this case, the Commission says businesses must be able to show where covered goods came from and that they meet the rules on deforestation and forest damage. The Guardian reports that the law’s implementation had been delayed twice. The Commission’s information says the main application date for large and medium operators is December 30, 2026. Most micro and small businesses have a later date, June 30, 2027, though there is an exception for some already covered by another EU timber law. Emma So the delays change when companies have to comply, but not the basic purpose of the rules. What should listeners take from this story? Omar The regulation links access to the EU market with proof about how certain goods were produced. That makes the details important to businesses that trade in them. The reporting also shows a disagreement about lobbying: Mighty Earth says the groups sought to influence the law, while the groups say they raised practical concerns. The meeting figures tell us there was substantial contact, but not, on their own, what effect that contact had on the final rules. Emma Omar, thank you. And thanks for listening to Slow English FM. This has been Economy and Work.
