KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia rejects the European Commission (EC) classifying palm oil as a high indirect land-use change (ILUC) risk and unjustifiably excluding palm oil from the EU's Renewable Energy Directive II (EU RED II) mandate.
In a statement from Brussels today, Malaysia's Ministry of Primary Industries secretary general Datuk Dr. Tan Yew Chong said, "the classification of all palm oil produce as a high ILUC risk biofuel feedstock is unacceptable."
"Such damaging findings are obtained by erroneous and biased interpretations by the EC," he added.
Tan lead a delegation to Brussels to participate in the Stakeholder Meeting On High And Low Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) Risk Biofuels Under The Recast Of The Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED II).
The bias classification of palm oil as a high ILUC risk, he explained, is deterimental to palm oil producing countries which depend on this industry to raise the socio economic well being of their people.
Such actions, by the EC, creates unwarranted barriers to sustainable practices in the industry and overall impedes free trade.
Tan is accompanied by the Ambassador of Malaysia to Belgium Datuk Hasnudin Hamzah, other officials from the Primary Industries Ministry, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysian Palm Oil Council and Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council.
Tan reiterated Malaysia’s position and invites the EC to relook at the Draft Delegated Regulation in a more holistic, balanced and unbiased manner before implementation.
He highlighted the EC's Draft Delegated Regulation lacks transparency, scientific credibity and many of the assumptions do not reflect the reality of sustainable practices by oil palm planters in developing nations.
"Malaysia is willing to address any concerns regarding the draft Delegated Regulation that aims to unjustifiably classify all palm oil produced as high ILUC risk," he said.