KUALA LUMPUR: The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry has undertaken various efforts to ensure that the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification complies with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

This is so Malaysian palm oil products are not discriminated against in the European and global markets.

Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said, among the efforts taken were the establishment of the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force on EUDR in cooperation with Indonesia and the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) and the European Commission.

"Through this platform, the European Union has agreed to assist us in addressing the constraints faced by Malaysia and Indonesia in meeting EUDR requirements.

"The first meeting of the Ad Hoc JTF in August 2023 identified five main constraints which we face.

"These encompass issues such as the involvement of smallholders in the supply chain, related national certification schemes, traceability from producers to end consumers, scientific data on deforestation and forest degradation, and protection of personal data," he said in a written reply in Parliament.

Johari was replying to a question from Bakri Jamaluddin (PN-Tangga Batu) as to what extent the ministry's efforts in its campaign had convinced the EU that MSPO was a certification that meets EUDR standards, so that Malaysian palm oil was not discriminated against in the European and global markets.

Johari said MSPO was also collaborating with the European Forest Institute to conduct a gap analysis study between the our certification scheme and EUDR regulations.

He said preliminary results of the study show that MSPO has significant potential to meet the requirements of EUDR regulations.

"This is because Malaysia has revised MSPO 2.0 standards to align with international norms in order to enhance credibility and broaden the scope for recognition in the global market," he said.

Johari said MSPO 2.0 has also been improved with the inclusion of several elements addressing social issues and good agricultural practices.

"These include High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments, Social Impact Assessments (SIA), quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and a deadline of Dec 31, 2019, for the clearing of primary forests, protected areas, and HCV areas for oil palm cultivation," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/1077433/johari-various-efforts-taken-ensure-mspo-certification-complies-eudr