SANDAKAN: The Malaysian government has engaged with the European Union (EU) to convince the union that the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) complies with all EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements on palm oil-based biofuel imports last week.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said he met with the ambassador of the EU in charge of the matter, and the EU has shown a positive response.
“They are happy with what we have done—that we have gotten our system (MSPO) ready. However, they have not decided when they do it (issue new EUDR requirements).
“Regardless of whether they are going to do it, we are going to proceed with our way of managing sustainability (through MSPO),” Johari said when met by reporters here today.
Johari said when presenting the MSPO to the EU, he emphasised four aspects, namely: Malaysia’s commitment against deforestation; a traceability system (able to trace plantations, factories, and refineries); each plantation must have a legitimate land title; and fulfilling 11 criteria set by the International Labour Organisation.
In March, Johari told the Dewan Rakyat that the Malaysian government must engage with the EU to convince them that the existing certification scheme MSPO has higher standards than the currently recognised global standard, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), covering a wider spectrum as it also includes smallholders.
At the time, Johari said if the EU accepts the MSPO standards, all Malaysian palm oil products could be exported to the EU as long as they have the MSPO certificate.
However, the EU’s decision on MSPO would have to wait until the union establishes its new regulation under the EUDR.
