Malaysia is the latest country to join the debate. Malaysian Palm Oil Council CEO Belvinder Kaur Sron is urging the European Commission to "do the right thing."
She issued a fresh warning of impending disaster. The EUDR will be implemented as plannedOn December 30,
Kaur said: "The EC must now listen to all calls to delay the EUDR.
A delay will ensure that small farmers receive support, provide stability to businesses, EU member states and governments around the world, and avoid chaos in the implementation of the EUDR.
How does EUDR affect the environment?
Kaur said the regulation would pose a non-tariff barrier to smallholders' access to the EU market and add significant costs.
She went on to say that despite the four-month deadline, no clear guidelines for compliance had been provided.
Kaur called on the EC to also offer a genuine and broad exemption to smallholders to avoid exclusion from the supply chain.
There was a need for "specific" criteria that were "credible" for commodities such as Malaysian palm oil, which are sustainable and proven, to be categorized as "low risk" within the regulations.
The MSPO standard should be recognised by the EUDR as a compliance instrument to facilitate market access for palm oil that has been proven to cause no deforestation.
With the German Chancellor Olaf Sholz called this week for a postponement of the EUDRAmbassadors from 17 countries, including Brazil, Ghana and Thailand, signed a recent letter to the EC describing the EUDR as "inherently punitive and discriminatory."
The new Council of the European Commission
The Biden administration called on the EU in June to postpone the next EUDR regulation. In a letter, they demanded that the EC address ongoing concerns before implementing sanctions and challenges stemming from the EUDR.
In the spring of this year, agriculture ministers from 20 of the 27 EU member states called for changes to the EUDR and called for delayed implementation.
The Fairtrade charity also increased its support for the delays and changes to the regulations. The charity said it strongly believed in the regulations' objectives but called for clarification and additional funding.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her team of Council members this morning. The group will meet for five years and will be subject to hearings by the European Parliament.
Costas Kadis has been appointed Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Oliver Varhelyi Commissioner for Animal Welfare and Health.
Von der Leyen announced the news on the social media platform X: "Each member of my team brings their unique experience and perspective on Europe. We will work together as one team towards a common goal: Making Europe stronger."
FoodNavigator was directed to a recorded comment from Tim McPhie of the European Commission, who said: "The co-legislators have drawn up the legislation and the Commissioner is doing everything he can to ensure that everything is in place at the right time."
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