InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – European Union (EU) proposed new regulation, EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) that raised concern in plantation and forestry producer countries, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. The goal is about to make sure that there would be no deforestation in product supply chain. This is taken as a loss of exports for some commodities, such as, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, rubber, and wood products from the two countries.
Coordinator Minister in Economy, Indonesian Republic, Airlangga Hartarto firmly emphasized that EUDR would negatively deliver impacts for the economy of Indonesia significantly.
“EUDR implementation would hurt and be the loss for forestry and plantation commodities that are significant for Indonsia, such as, cocoa, coffee, rubber, palm oil, and wood products,” Airlangga said before the representatives of civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations in Brussel, Belgium, by the late of May last year.
In association with that, Indonesia and Malaysia did establish ad hoc joint task force to solve the issue. This reflected that the two countries are seriously responding the unfair policy.
On the other hand, the supports to postpone EUDR implementation came up from bipartite group in the United States of America (USA), and advance agricultural association in EU, such as, Copa Cogeca. They discussed the potential issues in sustainable supply chain, price, consumes’ preference from EUDR itself.
Many countries, such as, India, Brazil and others did criticize EUDR. They are seriously sorry for the impacts if EUDR is really implemented.
To face EUDR, Indonesia got the supports from its partner countries. They told that the policy would not be fair and seriously question the impact for the farmers (smallholders) and exporter countries.
Airlangga also emphasized that the support from such countries encouraged Indonesia and Malaysia to keep fight EUDR.
Besides, 20 of 27 ministers would claim to postpone EUDR in the meeting of Agriculture Fisheries Council Configuration (AGRIFISH) that would be held.
“America is against to EUDR. Indonesia that was represented by Minister Airlangga; and Malaysia represented by Prime Minister of Malaysia, in their visit to Europe, got the supports from like-minded countries some time ago, both from Republican and Democrate Parties. They questioned about EUDR. Like-minded countries got inspiration from what Indonesia and Malaysia had conducted,” Airlangga said in the doorstop session in his office, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Thursday (25/04/2024).
The critics about EUDR were also about to get more measured – approach to solve deforestation and sustainability issues. It is believed that postponing the regulation would deliver some time for commodities producer countries to prepare more available performance.
It is hoped that EU would re-consider its policy and cooperate with commodities producer countries to get fair and sustainable solution in deforestation issues. (T2)
