Why has the EU deforestation law become so politicised and what role is Germany is playing? Julia Christian, forests and agriculture campaigner at the Brussels-based NGO Fern, tells Radio Schuman today the centre-right German CDU party - a European People's Party (EPP) member - is seeking to disrupt the implementation of the EU deforestation law as national elections approach, aiming to gain votes.

The EU Deforestation law aims to combat global deforestation by imposing due diligence obligations on traders importing raw materials such as beef, cocoa, coffee, and soy into the EU.

The legislation is supposed to take effect on December 30, 2024, for large enterprises, and mid-2025 for small and micro-enterprises. In October, the European Commission proposed a delay of 12 months, which EU diplomats immediately backed.

However, the European Parliament proposed further amendments, pushed by the EPP, the substance of which are being resisted by EU diplomats.

The three EU institutions will now start negotiations and - until they agree - the original deadline remains.

In the second segment of this podcast, we provided a quick overview of the contenders in Romania's presidential election.

In the final part of the show, Radio Schuman explains why it is so difficult for people who have lost weight to keep it off, according to a new study published in Nature magazine.

Today's Radio Schuman is hosted by Sasha Vakulina and produced by the journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques. Audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron, Music by Alexandre Jas.

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