Leather and Deforestation: being discussed at the European Parliament

Leather and deforestation will be discussed at the European Parliament on June 3. Cotance and UNIC-Italian Tanneries have organized a workshop entitled “EUDR: Is leather a factor in deforestation? – Let’s bring the facts to the European Parliament.” An important opportunity to reiterate once again that the tanning industry is not a driver of deforestation and that the inclusion of leather in the list of products subject to the Anti Deforestation Regulation is a macroscopic mistake.

The initiative, as UNIC reports, will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and is “promoted by MEP Salvatore De Meo (EPP, Italy) in collaboration with representatives of the European leather industry.” On the table will be “the results of the study conducted by the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (University of Pisa), on the impact of the EUDR on the European leather supply chain from an economic, social and environmental point of view.” 

Manuel Rios (Cotance president), Fulvia Bacchi (UNIC director) and Gustavo Gonzalez-Quijano  (Cotance secretary general) will speak at the workshop. 

As repeatedly mentioned, the tanning sector has many good reasons to support the exclusion of its raw material from the Anti Deforestation Regulation because, as leather is a by-product of the meat industry, it is by no means a driver of animal husbandry and consequently neither of deforestation.