The European Union (EU) is open for engagement to address issues raised by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is allegedly unjust and detrimental to free and fair trade.
Describing the first-ever higher-level meetings with the EU as a step forward, Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said continuous engagement in the coming months is crucial to safeguard the industry’s interest, especially for smallholders in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“Overall, I am satisfied as the majority of the EU’s top leaders that we met today agreed with our views with regard to issues on complying with the EUDR," Fadillah told Malaysian media after a meeting with five of the EU’s leaders on Wednesday (May 31).
Fadillah, who is also the plantation and commodities minister, is currently in Brussels, Belgium to represent Malaysia in a joint mission with Indonesia in response to the implementation of the EUDR announced by the EU on Dec 6, 2022, which is aimed at preventing deforestation due to agricultural activities.