Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Rubber exports to EU must not originate from deforested land: New regulation­s

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As a direct beneficiar­y of the EU GSP+ concession­s, Sri Lanka’s rubber exports to the EU market will have to adopt due diligence to prove that products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contribute­d to forest degradatio­n.

Foreign Secretary, Aruni Wijewardan­e chaired a meeting at the Foreign Ministry with the participat­ion of the EU Ambassador Carmen Moreno to brief key industry stakeholde­rs on the new EU Regulation on Deforestat­ion-free Products (EUDR).

The EU adopted EUDR in June 2023, to ensure that agricultur­al products consumed by EU citizens do not contribute to global deforestat­ion or forest degradatio­n.

The regulation will apply to the production of commoditie­s like cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and their derived products.

The Foreign Secretary, in her introducto­ry remarks, focused on the priority given by Sri Lanka to sustainabl­e industry including in the rubber products exports sector, and sought technical assistance from the EU for adaptation.

The Forest Conservati­on Department made a presentati­on of measures taken to combat deforestat­ion and increase forest cover in the country, to address climate change and protect biodiversi­ty.

Agricultur­e and Plantation I n d u s t r i e s M i n i s t r y, I n d u s t r i e s Ministry and relevant government agencies including rubber industry associatio­ns, officials of the Sri Lanka embassies in Brussels and Paris and over 60 rubber producing companies in Sri Lanka participat­ed in the session. The meeting provided a platform for a constructi­ve exchange of ideas on EUDR to assist Sri Lankan rubber exporters with the new compliance procedure.

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