The European Parliament has heeded calls by Indigenous Peoples, NGOs and European citizens by voting for Indigenous Peoples’ rights to be upheld in the EU’s landmark regulation on deforestation-free products.

Members of the European Parliament voted to include measures to ensure that companies respect international human rights norms and standards. Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, prior and informed consent will now be a prerequisite for importing products into the EU.

On the downside, MEPs failed to agree on setting up a compensation mechanism for affected peoples to seek redress.

In November last year, the European Commission proposed a law aimed at preventing the import of commodities and products linked to deforestation. This was seen as a watershed moment by civil society, although the draft contained some significant loopholes, including a lack of protection for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, widely recognised as the best guardians of forests.

Yesterday’s vote in the plenary of the European Parliament is the final step before tripartite negotiations between the European Commission, Council and European Parliament. This process will lead to a final version of the EU’s Regulation on deforestation-free products, likely by the end of 2022 or early 2023.

See full article by Fern here.