Legal requirements for combatting global deforestation in the trade in agricultural products

Abstract

This paper aims to determine the legal implications of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council (EUDR) for Polish entities engaged in the production of the produce covered by the Regulation, particularly cattle, soya and timber. The legal implications of the EUDR for Polish producers are essentially the same as for all other producers in the European Union. The obligations to combat deforestation are underpinned by possibly the strongest legal instruments – administrative measures. These instruments have a multifaceted impact – their primary purpose is to combat deforestation, and thus to protect the environment on a global scale, while ensuring, on the other hand, the proper implementation of the EUDR provisions, including the due diligence system. The EUDR is an essential instrument for global environmental protection, although it may generate administrative burdens, particularly for small farms in countries with a fragmented agricultural structure. The regulatory effectiveness depends on the efficiency of national implementation, the automation of processes within public institutions, and the proportionality of the sanctions imposed; in the long term, the EUDR may become a tool for raising producers’ environmental awareness and an instrument for the sustainable transformation of the agricultural and forestry sector.