Malaysia To Follow Up With Eu Rep On Objections To Deforestation Law

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PARLIAMENT | Malaysia will reiterate its stand against the European Union's (EU) proposed deforestation law at a meeting with the delegation's representative, to be held in Putrajaya on June 28, said Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah said the meeting with European Commission Directorate General for Environment director-general Florika Fink-Hooijer - in charge of overseeing the overall draft legislation - will be held as a follow-up to Malaysia's joint representation with Indonesia last month at the EU in Brussels, Belgium.
"In that meeting, I will reaffirm Malaysia's stand as presented in Belgium, aside from clarifying matters related to enforcement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation," Fadillah told the Dewan Rakyat during Ministerial Question Time today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Azman Nasrudin (PN-Padang Serai).
Further, Fadillah recapped the outcomes of the initial meeting with leaders of the EU Commission and Parliament that he led together with Indonesia's coordinating minister for economy, Airlangga Hartato.
Among others, he said issues raised include potential difficulties for smallholders in Malaysia and Indonesia to meet requirements under the proposed EU regulations on sustainability certification.
Fadillah, who is also the plantation and commodities minister, said their delegation had proposed for the EU to set-up a task force to review a way for the regulations to be enforced in a manner that would be beneficial to all parties.
Currently, Indonesia and Malaysia account for about 85 percent of global palm oil exports and the EU is their third-largest market.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, together with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, had also recently reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the interests of major and small industry players in both nations. - Mkini

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