EU and member states launch global Team Europe Initiative on deforestation-free value chains

The European Commission and member states launched the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on deforestation-free value chains at the COP28 (28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Dubai on December 9th 2023. The TEI was presented jointly by EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius and high-ranking representatives from France, Germany and the Netherlands with the aim of counteracting deforestation at a global level.   

The TEI is thus contributing to the implementation of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, under which more than 140 countries committed to halting deforestation by 2030 in addition to numerous measures relating to deforestation-free supply chains at COP26 in Glasgow.   

Simultaneously, the TEI will support partner countries in the successful transition to sustainable, deforestation-free and legal value chains.   

The Team Europe Initiative aims to build inclusive partnerships and provides a platform for better coordination of all stakeholders involved in their efforts to combat global deforestation. It will also support partner countries in a demand-driven manner with key elements of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products, such as traceability and the recording of geocoordinates. The focus here is on smallholders in partner countries.   

The European Commission, France, Germany, and the Netherlands have provided funding totaling €70 million for the implementation of the Team Europe Initiative on deforestation-free supply chains.   

The TEI consists of three pillars: The project "Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems" (SAFE) by the Directorate-General for International Partnerships of the European Commission and BMZ supports Ecuador, Brazil, Indonesia and Zambia and in future Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of Congo with deforestation-free supply chains. In addition, a "Zero Deforestation Hub" is being set up to act as a central source of information for stakeholders in partner countries and to improve the coordination of existing and future measures. In addition, a technical unit will provide partner countries with demand-driven support and expertise on specific technical topics such as traceability.