Palm Oil Resolution No Legally Binding: EU Ambassador

JAKARTA, May 3 (Antara) - The palm oil resolution which was introduced by the European Union (EU) last month will not be legally binding, Vincent Guérend, Ambassador of EU to Indonesia, declared during a press conference on "Europe Day" celebration in Indonesia here, Tuesday. "Although the parliament members have passed the resolution, it will not be directly adopted into a law. However, the European Commission will still take the initiative into account when discussing sustainable development in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia," Guérend, who is accompanied by Fransisco Fontan, EU Ambassador to ASEAN, stated in Jakarta. The union has understood the hostile reactions of Indonesia and Malaysia as two of the largest palm oil importers to Europe following the EU Parliament's resolution, he admitted. Therefore, the union is assuring the Indonesian government that information indicating a boycott of palm oil products are merely rumors, he confirmed. Guérend further noted that instead of phasing out palm oil products from the European market, the bloc would invite Indonesia and Malaysia to join its sustainable development program that would not only accommodate the union's interest, but also of all countries in the world, while protecting the environment. "EU will seek a discussion with the Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry on developing a sustainable palm oil product. Our vision to sustainability, however, is a long process which could take not just days, but months and years. Therefore, we could optimize the existing certifications to make sure the palm oil products have been legally produced," he pointed out. According to the EU Parliament's official website, the resolution is based on a palm oil and deforestation of rainforest report written by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety's several rapporteurs, including Kateina Konená. The report claimed that some companies trading in palm oil had failed to prove that their supply chains were not linked to deforestation, peatland drainage, or environmental pollution, or to demonstrate that the oil had been produced by respecting fundamental human rights, as well as adequate social standards. Following the claims, Siti Nurbaya, Environment and Forestry Minister, earlier, blasted the resolution as groundless and irrelevant. Contrary to the allegations, the Indonesian government had committed to develop sustainable palm oil products, as well as protect the rights of traditional communities over forests near the plantation areas, the minister added.