Mah: Ministry to set up Malaysia-EU special panel to tackle palm oil issues

PETALING JAYA: The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry will set up a special oil palm economic and technical committee between Malaysian and the European Union (EU) to establish a clearer understanding on issues surrounding palm oil, said minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
The announcement on this comes as fears grow that the enforcement of an EU resolution singling out palm oil cultivation as the main contributor to deforestation will lead to tighter importation policy on palm oil and an environmental burden-based tariff scheme.
In a statement today, Mah said the committee, which would be joined by special representatives of the EU ambassadors in Malaysia, is important in strengthening the role of the ambassadors in ensuring accurate and unbiased information to the EU countries.
He said the proposal serves as proof of the willingness and continuous commitment by the Malaysian government in working together with EU countries on the issue related to the sustainable development of the oil palm sector.
Mah urged members of the EU Parliament to re-evaluate their stance on the oil palm sector, as discriminating against oil palm would go against the EU commitment to the World Trade Organisation’s free trade principle and threaten the relationship between the EU and palm oil producing countries, especially Malaysia and Indonesia.
He further emphasised that continuous negative publicity on the issue of palm oil would dampen the economic development of both countries that rely on the export of palm oil and oil palm products.
“Negative publicity would affect the global demand of palm oil and this would indirectly contribute to a drop in price of the oil palm commodity.
“Therefore, the government through the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities as well as other related agencies will take seriously the developments in the EU Parliament and will be committed to protect the interests of 650,000 oil palm smallholders in the country."