My hearing at the Italian Parliament: why Italy must act now on EUDR – Pietro Paganini
I was invited to speak at the Italian Chamber of Deputies before the European Affairs Committee to discuss the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Italy must act now to avoid losing competitiveness. Here’s my take.
My hearing at the Italian Parliament: why Italy must act now on EUDR
Italy must adopt and test the EUDR now to protect its businesses
If Italy wants to safeguard the competitiveness of its companies, it must immediately adopt the EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation), test it in practice, and engage directly with key industries. Delays will only give a competitive edge to other European countries. In the Netherlands, businesses and institutions have been working together for months to turn EUDR into an industrial opportunity.
I highlighted this urgency while speaking before the European Affairs Committee at the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
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“The EUDR – whether we like it or not—is here, and we must implement it in the best way possible. Otherwise, Italian companies will bear the cost,” I stated. “This is a major challenge for Europe, but also an opportunity to innovate business models and technologies, especially in supply chain traceability.”
I criticized the EU Commission’s top-down and ideological approach, which applies a one-size-fits-all model to seven very different industries. Even worse, the EU failed to engage with producing countries, maintaining an outdated neo-colonial stance – at a time when we need these markets to ensure food security and strategic independence from the US.
To make EUDR a competitive advantage, I propose three immediate actions:
1. Establish industry-specific working groups at the relevant authority.
2. Test the regulation with importers, as the Netherlands is already doing.
3. Strengthen partnerships with producing countries to ensure compliance and attract more trade through Italian ports.
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The palm oil sector proves this is possible. Years of unfair boycotts have led producers to adopt some of the strictest sustainability standards. Today, over 95% of palm oil entering Italy is Adeforestation-free, thanks to rigorous policies in countries like Indonesia. Yet misleading “palm oil-free” labels still flood our shelves, despite the new EU Green Claims Directive demanding transparency and scientific accuracy.
Italy must move from regulation to implementation – before it’s too late.
