Michelin and the European regulation on deforestation-free products

As one of the world's leading buyers of natural rubber and a founding member of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), the Group made an early commitment to rubber farming that respects the environment and benefits everyone.

Michelin supports a fair and eco-responsible industry; it was the first tire manufacturer to adopt a commitment to zero-deforestation in 2015, as part of its sustainable natural rubber policy. Since then, the Group has sourced only natural rubber that has not been deforested. Through this regulation, and by ensuring traceability, it provides tangible proof of the non-deforested nature of its rubber.

Today, the Group deplores the late announcement - less than 3 months before the implementation of this regulation - of a possible postponement of 12 months and a certain form of improvisation in the implementation of such a heavy regulation. Michelin considers that this decision penalizes the entire rubber industry, including smallholders, as well as the competitiveness of large European companies.

Since June 2023, the Group has deployed considerable human and financial resources to geolocate millions of plots of rubber trees to guarantee its products’ compliance by the end of the year  and avoid any supply disruptions on the European market. And all this despite the administrative complexity that Michelin repeatedly pointed out.

True to the company’s leadership in terms of sustainability, Michelin reaffirms that it is in favor of any actions and regulations for a sustainable natural rubber industry. It considers the EU regulation on deforestation-free products to be a real turning point in the global fight against deforestation.