EU Proposes to Exclude Leather From Landmark Deforestation Law

The European Union moved to exclude the leather industry from its landmark law tackling global deforestation as the bloc seeks support from key sectors and countries before the legislation kicks in at year’s end.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, proposed removing leather from the scope of the new rules to avoid penalizing EU producers of goods such as handbags and shoes, according to a statement on Monday. It also presented updated guidelines to help companies comply with the regulations.