Trä- och Möbelföretagen (TMF), the trade and employer organisation representing Sweden's wood and furniture industries, has voiced serious concerns over the national implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). In its official response to the Swedish government inquiry "Adaptation of Swedish law to the Deforestation Regulation", TMF warns that proposed measures may go beyond EU requirements, risking significant consequences for Swedish industry.
© TMF
Erik Haara, CEO (left) and Simon Imner, policy expert (right) at TMF.
While TMF supports the ambition to combat global deforestation, it argues that the suggested Swedish approach could overimplement the regulation, leading to unfair burdens on Swedish businesses compared to those in other EU countries.
'TMF's member companies already operate with a strong environmental focus and strict traceability requirements. A regulatory framework that does not consider these conditions risks doing more harm than good,' said Erik Haara, CEO of TMF.
The organisation urges caution and advises against adding stricter national provisions to already complex EU rules. 'We are deeply concerned that EU legislation with such major gaps in impact analysis risks being overimplemented and overlapping other laws. There are clear goal conflicts here, where the EU risks stumbling and tripping up companies that are vital to achieving climate goals,' said Simon Imner, TMF's policy expert.
In its response, TMF outlines the following key objections:
- Risk of overimplementation of the EU regulation
- Excessive administrative burdens, particularly harmful for small and medium-sized enterprises
- Proposal for fee-based control mechanisms, which could damage competitiveness compared to countries opting for public funding
- Inadequate impact analysis, especially regarding transition costs and long-term structural effects
More information:
TMF
info@tmf.se
www.tmf.se