RSPO: We'll continue to engage with European Commission

SUBANG JAYA: The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) will continue engaging with the European Commission as the European Union (EU) seeks to tighten restrictions on palm oil import.
“We will be talking and engaging with the European Commission to help them understand us better before they make a decision. First and foremost, they must get important facts which is why we talk to them on smallholders and all that. If they get their facts rights, then they can make an objective decision. Our job is to provide them with enough facts,” RSPO CEO Datuk Darrel Webber told reporters at a briefing yesterday.
Earlier this month, the EU passed a non-binding resolution in Parliament seeking to impose tighter restrictions on the import of palm oil and is now looking at implementing a single certification scheme.
Webber said it is not lobbying for RSPO to be the certification scheme for EU but it is in the best position to talk to the European Commission in terms of the realities on the ground, for example, smallholder and logistical issues – due to its experience.
“We don’t know where it is heading but we have been engaging with them since last year and I think we are in a very good position. I won’t dare say we will be the one but if there are any changes, our members will benefit. Because they are already compliant to quite a high standard. Whatever the Europeans want, I think we can easily accommodate,” he said.
Meanwhile, RSPO has started the process of revising its standard and will hold its first meeting on the revision on May 23-25. The revised standard, which will be the third version, will be adopted in November 2018.
RSPO technical director Salahudin Yaacob said the standard is revised every five years. The first version was adopted in 2007 and the first revision was done in 2013.
RSPO hopes to translate its standard to be more measurable and objective as there is still some subjectivity in its indicators.
“Secondly, we need to bring more smallholders into our scheme. So the next standard should be friendlier to smallholders. Third, in terms of labour and human rights, I think our next standard will have to look into that too,” said Salahudin.
He said the final decision will be made by a task force comprising seven stakeholder groups who will decide which elements will be included or omitted from the standard.
RSPO, which works with mills and individual companies, has started talks with governments on how to get whole countries and states certified and has started working with the Sabah state government as a start.
“The state government said by 2025, they will have everything in Sabah certified according to RSPO 100%. We hope to do this with other states in Malaysia too, to work with some state governments because land issues are state issues, not federal issues,” said Webber.
He said Sabah has been quite proactive and has been working with industry players and non-governmental organisations in this initiative.