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1. Within their respective spheres of competence, the Commission, on behalf of the Union, and interested Member States shall engage in a coordinated approach with producer countries and parts thereof that are concerned by this Regulation, in particular those classified as high risk in accordance with Article 29 through existing and future partnerships, and other relevant cooperation mechanisms to jointly address the root causes of deforestation and forest degradation. The Commission shall develop a comprehensive Union strategic framework for such engagement and shall consider mobilising relevant Union instruments. Such partnerships and cooperation mechanisms shall focus on the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of forests, deforestation, forest degradation, and the transition to sustainable commodity production, consumption, processing, and trade methods. Partnerships and cooperation mechanisms may include structured dialogues, administrative arrangements, and existing agreements or provisions thereof, as well as joint roadmaps that enable the transition to an agricultural production that facilitates the compliance with this Regulation, paying particular attention to the needs of indigenous peoples, local communities and smallholders and ensuring the participation of all interested actors.

2. Partnerships and cooperation shall allow the full participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, indigenous peoples, local communities, women, the private sector including microenterprises and other SMEs, and smallholders. Partnerships and cooperation shall also support or initiate inclusive and participatory dialogue towards national legal and governance reform processes to enhance forest governance and address domestic factors contributing to deforestation.

3. Partnerships and cooperation shall promote the development of integrated land use planning processes, relevant legislation of producer countries, multi-stakeholder processes, fiscal or commercial incentives and other pertinent tools to improve forest and biodiversity conservation, sustainable management and restoration of forests, tackle the conversion of forests and vulnerable ecosystems to other land uses, optimise gains for the landscape, tenure security, agriculture productivity and competitiveness, and the transparency of supply chains, strengthen the rights of forest-dependent communities, including smallholders, local communities, and indigenous peoples, whose rights are set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and ensure public access to forest management documents and other relevant information.

4. Within their respective spheres of competence, the Commission, on behalf of the Union, or Member States, or both, shall engage in international bilateral and multilateral discussion on policies and actions to halt deforestation and forest degradation, including in multilateral fora such as CBD, FAO, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, UN Environment Assembly, UN Forum on Forests, UNFCCC, WTO, G7 and G20. Such engagement shall include the promotion of the transition to sustainable agricultural production and sustainable forest management as well as the development of transparent and sustainable supply chains as well as continued efforts towards identifying and agreeing robust standards and definitions that ensure a high level of protection of forests and other natural ecosystems and related human rights.

5. Within their respective spheres of competence, the Commission, on behalf of the Union, and interested Member States shall engage in dialogue and cooperation with other major consuming countries, to promote the adoption of ambitious requirements to minimise such countries’ contribution to deforestation and forest degradation, and a global level playing field.