The benchmarking process outlined in Article 29 of the Regulation will indeed consider legality risks, in addition to deforestation and forest degradation. The Commission’s assessment will be transparent and based on various criteria, including:

– Deforestation and forest degradation rates.

– Expansion of agricultural land for relevant commodities.

– Production trends of relevant commodities and products.

Furthermore, other factors may be considered, such as:

– Information provided by governments, NGOs, and industry.

– Existing agreements between the country and the EU.

– National laws addressing deforestation and their enforcement.

– Transparency of data within the country.

– Compliance with laws protecting indigenous rights.

– International sanctions imposed by relevant bodies like the UN Security Council or the EU Council.