ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The wave of rejection of the implementation of the European Union on Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) is increasingly widespread. Indonesia, Malaysia and the United States are the three countries that most strongly reject this policy.
The European Union on Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), first outlined in the 2019 Commission Communication, is a commitment to assess additional demand-side regulatory and non-regulatory measures and ensure a level playing field and a shared understanding of deforestation-free supply chains, increasing supply chain transparency, and minimizing the risks of deforestation and forest degradation associated with commodity imports into the EU.
This commitment has also been confirmed by the European Green Deal policy as well as the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork Strategy, and then the EUDR was stipulated by the EU on 29 June 2023.
In its development, this regulation has raised a lot of concern and opposition from various groups and countries because the discussion process is considered not to involve producing countries of the commodities regulated in the EUDR provisions, namely wood (timber), palm oil, coffee, cocoa, soya beans, rubber, and cattle.
Apart from that, the EUDR also does not pay attention to local capacity conditions such as small farmers, regulations of sovereign producing countries such as provisions on sustainable palm oil certification schemes, and provisions regarding personal data protection.
After the first letter signed by 14 countries on 27 July 2022, objections to the implementation of the EUDR were again voiced by like-minded countries in a letter signed by Ambassadors or Representatives from 17 countries on 7 September 2023.
Like-minded countries are of the view that efforts to handle the issue of deforestation in the EUDR do not regulate the principles commonly found in multilateral agreements, namely the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, discriminate and punish the 7 commodities in the EUDR, and have the potential to be inconsistent with the provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO ).
Indonesia and Malaysia are also countries that have voiced objections to the EUDR policy. Led by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, who also serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Commodities, Fadillah Yusof, carried out a joint mission to Brussels in May 2023 to meet with a number of important figures in the European Commission and Members of the European Union Parliament who dealing with EUDR provisions.
During the visit, objections and potential implications of the EUDR provisions were conveyed if implemented.
As a follow-up to the visit to the EU, the EU agreed to establish a dialogue mechanism proposed by Indonesia and Malaysia in a forum called the Joint Task Force (JTF) to discuss various concerns and worries of producing countries related to the EUDR implementation plan which will begin valid in January 2025.
The kick off meeting of the JTF was held on August 4 2023 and the second meeting was held on February 2 2024.
In the JTF there are five discussion focuses starting from the inclusion of small farmers in the commodity supply chain, gap analysis between EUDR provisions and national standards (ISPO and MSPO), traceability tools developed in producing countries (traceability tools), country benchmarking which until now has not been implemented. available methodology and data sources used, as well as protecting personal data.
Furthermore, the Indonesian Government is also making other efforts by developing a digital platform in the form of a National Dashboard to strengthen the supply chain for smallholder farmers and commodity industries affected by the EUDR policy.
In addition, 27 United States Senators have written to United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to express concerns about the negative impact of EUDR policies, especially for United States pulp and paper producers. The letter highlights the strict requirements of the EUDR, especially regarding traceability and geolocation, which are difficult for the pulp and paper industry in the United States to meet.
The Senators asked Katherine Tai to continue communicating with EU policymakers and encourage the EU to recognize that the United States has strong regulatory standards to protect the sustainability of forests in the United States.
The United States’ response shows concern that the EUDR policy is very detrimental, especially for farmers, and is a discriminatory policy.
From the EU itself, objections have also been raised by the Main Association of Farmers in the European Union, Copa Cogeca, which said it was impossible to implement the provisions in the EUDR on time. (AT Network)
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