With backing from far-right extremists in the European Parliament, the party group EPP has launched an audacious attempt to sabotage the EU’s deforestation regulation. The right-wing and far-right factions are joining forces to favour corporate interests over the survival of our planet. In response to a voting session flawed by numerous technical issues, the Left Party is demanding a revote.

“The mainstream right wing parties have aligned themselves with Europe’s far right parties such Germany’s far-right AfD and Hungary’s ruling party Fidesz, to dismantle legislation aimed at protecting the Amazon, the world’s most important carbon sink. This shows just how far the right wing is willing to go to appease the forestry lobby. It’s a scandal of epic proportions,” declares Left MEP Jonas Sjöstedt.

The deforestation regulation, adopted in the previous term, was designed to curb the destruction of rainforests. Under this directive, products like coffee and cocoa can only be imported to the EU if they are proven to be free from links to deforested land after 2021.

Originally, the directive was set to take effect on December 30, 2024. However, the Commission recently decided to postpone its implementation by a year. During today’s session, as the European Parliament was set to approve this delay, the EPP seized the moment to also water down the law with the support of far-right groups like ESN and the Patriots. By a razor-thin margin of just three votes, the EPP’s amendments passed, allowing fewer companies to be subject to the rules and granting exemptions to certain countries.

“Rainforests are absolutely essential to maintaining the global carbon balance. The Amazon alone absorbs over a billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. The cooperation of the right wing with the far-right, letting deforestation continue is a catastrophic blow to the climate,” Sjöstedt exclaims.

Adding to the chaos, several voting machines malfunctioned during the session, and some key amendments were passed by a mere three-vote difference. Given these irregularities, the Left group is now calling for the entire vote to be redone.