EU palm oil expert panel to visit Malaysia end-October

KUALA LUMPUR: The European Commission’s ( EC) palm oil expert panel will make its first visit to Malaysia at the end of this month to address concerns over the sustainability of the palm oil industry.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said she hoped the panel members would recognise Malaysia’s efforts towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals during their visit.

“Such a move is extremely important for the European Union ( EU) expert panel to get a firsthand account of Malaysia’s palm oil cultivation and processing practices.

“This will enable them to appreciate the complexity of the operations needed to produce sustainable palm oil in Malaysia,” she told reporters after the EU- Malaysia International Discourse on Palm Oil Sustainability here yesterday.

EU Ambassador and head of Delegation to Malaysia Maria Castillo Fernandez said the panel would comprise four experts and they would be visiting the plantations and engaging with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, stakeholders and non- governmental organisations.

“The panel would then head back to the EU and meet with the legislators on the issue,” she said, adding that discussions between Malaysia and the EU was still open as it was committed to reducing carbon emissions.

Previously, the EU negotiators agreed to phase out the use of palm oil starting 2030 as the EC claimed that palm oil was one of the highest cause of greenhouse gas effects due to deforestation.

As at 2017, the export value of the Malaysian palm oil and palmbased products to the EU stood at RM11.3 billion, accounting for 14.2 per cent of Malaysia’s global export.

On labour shortage in the plantation industry, Teresa said the Home Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry had formed a special committee to study labour issues in the country.

“The cabinet will be looking at it in its totality and the results will be ready by end of the year,” she said.