Across the Atlantic, the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) said leather’s exclusion from the scope of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) marks “a massive geopolitical victory”.
It said the changes that the European Commission has made to exclude leather are the result of sustained lobbying by the LHCA, COTANCE and international government partners. It added that this had included “heavy diplomatic pressure from the current US administration”.
This exemption protects the US hides and leather supply chain from “crippling compliance costs” that would not address real deforestation problems, LHCA said.
Industry groups engaged directly with EU lawmakers and Commission officials over a number of years, it said, making a “definitive, data-backed case” for excluding leather and hides from the regulation.
LHCA said the global leather industry must not “let its guard down” during the new consultation period that will run until June 1. Instead, it must continue to present arguments explaining why the exclusion of leather and hides from the scope of EUDR is a fair and science-based decision.
“We are fighting a heavily entrenched narrative,” LHCA continued. “Environmental groups object fiercely to our exemption. Non-government organisations are already publicly attacking the decision, claiming the exclusion undermines the regulation’s credibility.”
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