Global Gateway: EU and Member States launch global Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains

Today, during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius together with high-level representatives of Germany, the Netherlands and France, launched a global Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Deforestation-free Value Chains. This strategic initiative marks a significant step in the EU and Member States’ commitment to foster inclusive partnerships with producing countries. The initiative will help address deforestation on a global scale and support the commitments outlined in the Glasgow Leader’s Declaration on Forests and Land Use from COP26 to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Aligned with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the new Team Europe Initiative is designed to halt deforestation and support partner countries in successfully transitioning to sustainable, deforestation-free, and legal value chains.

The EU and its Member States announced an initial package of €70 million in new funding for the implementation of this Team Europe Initiative, complementing a broad portfolio of ongoing programmes from the EU and its Member States on forests and halting deforestation.

At the launch of this Team Europe Initiative, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “The world is losing forests at a dizzying speed, bringing us close to a tipping point. Losing forests means losing biodiversity, putting the global water cycle at risk and fuelling climate change. EU consumption can no longer add fuel to this fire. That’s why we’re working with partner countries to implement the new law on deforestation-free products. This new Team Europe initiative will bring us all closer to achieving our shared goal of halting and reversing deforestation worldwide.”

Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, stated: “To support a fast transition towards effectively halting deforestation while improving livelihoods of smallholders and local communities, it is key to step up partnerships between governments, smallholders and companies to comply with the regulation. Therefore, Germany welcomes that the European Commission and EU Member States have jointly launched this TEI to which Germany contributed 13.25 million EUR as a first step.” 

Steven Collet, Vice-Minister of Foreign trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, stated: “International cooperation is critical to effectively address the complex challenge of ongoing deforestation, in the interest of climate, biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of people. The Netherlands therefore strongly supports this coordinated Team Europe Initiative – to support partner countries and smallholders to enable deforestation-free value chains – and is pleased to announce a contribution of 20 million euros.” 

Christophe Béchu, French Minister for the Ecological Transition, and Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, stated: “Convinced that EU countries must lead by example by enhancing value chains for sustainable consumption, France is committed to support producer countries in their shift towards deforestation-free production models. Since 2018, France has dedicated over 60 million euros annually to support local stakeholders and smallholder farmers in partner countries and is pleased to contribute five million euros to support the Team Europe Initiative on deforestation-free value chains.”

The Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation free value chains

This collaborative effort brings together the European Commission, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.

The TEI will support an inclusive transition to sustainable, deforestation-free and legal supply chains and facilitate trade of a number of commodities with the EU. The TEI will be based on a demand-driven approach from partner countries and offer a platform to enhance coordination amongst all stakeholders in their efforts to combat deforestation, as well as technical assistance and capacity building towards partner governments as well as producers on key issues such as traceability, geo-localisation and land-use mapping.

Furthermore, a Team Europe Hub on deforestation-free value chains will be established as part of the Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems programme (SAFE), to serve as a central resource for information to partner countries and to ensure coherence of actions in this domain.

Background

Protecting and restoring the world’s forests are crucial to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework (the Kunming-Montreal Agreement). The EU and its member states, together with more than 140 countries, are signatories of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration, committing to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.

Overall, the Commission has committed to doubling the external funding for global biodiversity from 2021 to 2027, to €7 billion.

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU regulation on deforestation-free products which entered into force in June 2023 aims to minimise the EU’s contribution to deforestation and forest degradation worldwide. It will require companies to ensure through due diligence that soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber and a range of derived products, such as e.g. leather, chocolate, tyres, or furniture, are produced without deforestation or forest degradation. The Regulation will enter into full application from 30 December 2024 (30 June 2025 for small and micro-enterprises).

For more information

Factsheet - Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains

Deforestation

EU Forest Observatory (europa.eu)