Jonathan Wilkinson

BRUSSELS — Canada’s man in Brussels wants to rework how the European Union’s landmark anti-deforestation law applies to Canadian businesses as the two sides explore ways 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. Chief among those grievances is the EU’s new Deforestation Regulation, which kicks in on Dec. 30. …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. …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.