Peña says European deforestation legislation is "unfair" to Paraguay.

New York, Apr 29 (EFE) - Paraguayan President Santiago Peña on Tuesday called deforestation legislation approved by the European Union (EU) "unfair" for his country. The bloc with which Asunción and its Southern Common Market (Mercosur) partners signed a free trade agreement awaiting ratification.

Speaking at the 66th plenary session of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Peña Nieto said that current trade rules are, "in many cases, biased or beneficial to more developed economies," which, he said, negotiate better terms after "disguising their protectionist measures under environmental or health barriers."

"A notable example, though by no means an isolated one, is European Union Resolution 1115, which is so unfair to countries like Paraguay," the president said, referring to this regulation, which prohibits the sale in the EU of products linked to deforestation activities, whose implementation was postponed until December 2025.

In this regard, the president, who has been visiting the United States since Saturday, advocated for international organizations to promote justice and equality in international trade.

"If multilateral systems cannot ensure a minimum of justice and equity among nations, whether strong or weak, then they simply cannot justify themselves to the world," he concluded.

Paraguay, along with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia (in the process of full accession), as members of the Mercosur bloc, signed a free trade agreement with the EU on December 6 in Montevideo after 25 years of negotiations. The agreement is still awaiting ratification for implementation.

Following the signing of the agreement, the EU Council gave companies an additional year on December 18 to comply with deforestation legislation.

In 2024, Paraguay complained about the requirements established in Regulation 1115, which restricts the entry into the European market of products such as meat, soy, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, timber, and rubber that violate deforestation regulations and the legislation of each country.

On the other hand, the European Commission (EC) announced last April that it intends to complete the legal review of the association agreement with Mercosur "before the end of the summer," which would mark a new step toward its ratification and entry into force.