European Parliament explains why leather does not cause deforestation

Yesterday, June 3, the European Parliament became the global stage for the European leather industry. An opportunity to deliver a clear and scientifically based message: leather is not a driver of deforestation. Hosted by MEP Salvatore De Meo (EPP, Italy) in close collaboration with COTANCE and UNIC, the high-level workshop titled “EUDR: Is Leather a Driver of Deforestation? – Bringing facts to the European Parliament” brought together over 50 in-person stakeholders from across the globe. Participants included diplomatic representatives from the United States, Argentina, Turkey, and Australia, alongside officials from EU Member States (Italy, Poland), the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament, international organisations, industry experts, and representatives from leading companies and tanneries.

The event marked a major milestone in the industry’s advocacy efforts and reinforced the importance of evidence-based policymaking in the revision of Annex I of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The workshop showcased the findings of the study conducted by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (University of Pisa), offering a comprehensive review of academic literature and available data on whether leather contributes to deforestation or not. The workshop also served as the missing impact assessment on leather—filling a critical gap in the ongoing review of Annex I of the EUDR under Article 34.

Mr Luca Boltri, Vice-Director of the Italian Tanners’ Association – UNIC, said: “We are grateful to Italian MEP Salvatore De Meo (EPP), who listened to our concerns and gave us this opportunity to bringing to the European Institutions the facts of the impact of a piece of EU legislation which is totally disconnected from the realities of the leather industry.”

“I am happy to stand up for an industry that is the pride of Italian fashion and that is unfairly stigmatized in the EUDR. We all want to curb deforestation, but it is not helping the credibility of EU legislation if it sets up measures that have no real effect on the environment while they stifle the competitiveness of EU industry” – said Salvatore de Meo, MEP (EPP/Italy).