Indonesian Delegation Arrives in Brussels for Palm Oil Negotiation

COORDINATING Economic Minister Darmin Nasution led Indonesian delegation to Brussels, 8-9 April 2019, in a joint mission with Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) to discuss palm oil with EU representatives. On a press release, (8/4/20190), Darmin said the mission is aimed to respond to the delegated act adopted by the EU which categorizes palm oil as a vegetable oil posing a higher risk of deforestation than other vegetable oils.

Indonesian Delegation Arrives in Brussels for Palm Oil Negotiation
COORDINATING Economic Minister Darmin Nasution led Indonesian delegation to Brussels, 8-9 April 2019, in a joint mission with Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) to discuss palm oil with EU representatives. On a press release, (8/4/20190), Darmin said the mission is aimed to respond to the delegated act adopted by the EU which categorizes palm oil as a vegetable oil posing a higher risk of deforestation than other vegetable oils. The delegated act is a derivative regulation of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) concerning biofuels. Darmin said the aim of the joint mission is to voiced their opposition to the proposed delegated act by European Commission on implementation of RED II. In two days visit the delegation is scheduled to meet commissioners, parliamentarians, and members of European Council as well as palm oil stakeholders in the EU. Earlier, the Government has voiced 10 point of the response to the EU’s discrimination against palm oil. Apart from that, the Government has also called for the support of the European Union-based businesses to voice Indonesia’s concern on negotiation and diplomacy. Delegation from Indonesia, led by Darmin Nasution, includes Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter F. Gontha, Deputy of Food and Agriculture of the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs Musdalifah Mahmud, Director of Trade Security at Trade Ministry Pradnyawati, and officials from palm oil associations. Malaysia is being represented Dato’ Dr. Tan Yew Chong, Secretary General for Ministry of Primary Industries of Malaysia. Colombia, acting as an observer country, is represented by Felipe Garcia Echeverri, Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of the Mission of Colombia to the European Union. ***