Malaysia forms committee on EU deforestation rule
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government has formed a Special Committee to spearhead the country's response to the European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR), aiming to ensure continued access to the European Union market and strengthen sustainability compliance across key export sectors.
Chaired by Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, the committee involves three key ministries: the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (MPC), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), and Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). Their respective secretaries general will co-chair the working committee.
The committee held its first meeting in Putrajaya today, bringing together officials and technical experts to align national policies, implementation strategies, and data systems to meet EUDR requirements.
A key priority of the Committee is to secure Malaysia's classification as a low-risk country under the EUDR framework.
This includes strengthening national traceability systems and ensuring the provision of credible forest data to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), which forms the quantitative basis for EUDR's country risk assessment.
The Committee will also act as the central channel for Malaysia's engagement with the European Commission, including the submission of official datasets, policy updates and participation in technical exchanges.
This whole-of-government effort underscores Malaysia's firm commitment to sustainability across key commodities, including palm oil, rubber, timber and cocoa, which collectively generated RM186 billion in global export value in the whole of 2024.
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