{"id":17268,"date":"2024-04-27T17:20:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-27T07:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=17268"},"modified":"2024-10-21T20:19:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T10:19:33","slug":"as-global-opposition-grows-could-the-eudr-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/as-global-opposition-grows-could-the-eudr-collapse\/","title":{"rendered":"As Global Opposition Grows: Is EUDR at Risk of Falling Over?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The European Union’s signature EUDR\u2014slated to come into effect in December\u2014is under siege, with twenty (out of 27) European Agricultural Ministers calling for it to be slowed down or watered down amid concerns over global supply chains, according to a new report in the Jakarta Post.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States – the world’s largest producer of forest products – are tightening the screws on EU policymakers, claiming that the new legislation will lead to a surge in prices for forest-based products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Airlangga Hartarto, an Indonesian diplomat close to the joint Indonesia-Malaysia Taskforce for EUDR, the United States is just one of a raft of countries now fighting against the regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday<\/a>, he said, “Both Republicans and Democrats (in the United States) are starting to question EUDR,” with “like-minded countries inspired by what Indonesia and Malaysia are doing (in opposing EUDR).”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The world’s largest forest product producer could derail key elements of the EUDR. It comes as the new legislation, part of the EU’s “Green Deal” could become a major political issue ahead of the 2024 US Presidential Elections. (Photo Credit: JJ Gouin via Adobe Stock Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In September, Indonesia and Malaysia, responsible for 85% of the world’s Palm Oil production<\/a><\/em>, raised “multiple concerns” with the new legislation in an open letter to the European Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter alleged that “the legislation disregarded local circumstances and capabilities, national legislation and certification mechanisms of developing producer countries, (as well as) their efforts to fight deforestation and multilateral commitments, including the principle of common but differentiated principles.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month<\/a>, Wood Central reported that 27 US senators – from states responsible for producing pulp, paper and lumber told US Trade Representative Katherine Tai that compliance with the standards would be “nearly impossible.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independent Senator Angus King, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, and 25 Republican and Democratic senators sent a letter to Ms Tai claiming that the EUDR’s traceability rules will be “nearly impossible for a significant segment of the US paper and pulp industry to comply with.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Last month, Wood Central reported that EU will stall important parts of the EUDR over concerns from partner countries – with Indonesia and Malaysia, home to 85% of the world’s palm oil production, among the most vocal in opposition to the new legislation. (Photo Credit: Cloudyew \/ Alamy Stock Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

EU policymakers connected to the legislation have already flagged that key parts of the EUDR could be weakened<\/a>\u2014including the controversial traffic-light system, where countries are classified as low, medium, and high-risk countries. “We will simply not classify, which means everything will be a medium risk,” an EU official who spoke to media last month said, adding that “we need more time to get the system into place.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have had a lot of complaints from partners,” the official said, and with the delay, “no country will have an advantage over the other.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the US, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Brazil have also expressed concerns\u00a0with\u00a0the “burdensome and unfair” regulations.\u00a0Last year, Brazil led the\u00a0“United for Our Forests” coalition<\/a>\u00a0at COP28, <\/em>pushing back against wealthy countries “projecting green standards” onto the Global South.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the EUDR will work<\/h6>\n\n\n\n