InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – President of European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen announced to postpone the implementation of European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for the next year. She announced it on Wednesday (2/10/2024). If the European Parliament and Board approves it, EUDR would be implemented on 30 December 2025 for the big companies and on 30 June 2026 for micro and small companies.
Chairman of Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS), Sabarudin thought it does not need to postpone the regulation. He thought, since 29 June 2023, EUDR has been implemented. There would be time for every planter to adapt with the new regulation.
“Palm oil plantation companies/industries from many producer countries, such as, Indonesia has prepared it. Some companies even prepared geospatial data about theirs. It means, the companies would obey it,” he said, as in the official statement, Monday (7/10/2024).
But Sabarudin said that it would need the supports from European Union and the companies in palm oil supply chain to deliver helps for the smallholders. “The members of SPKS would be committed to get free deforestation – products and want to be part of European Union supply chain. Until now the support and the finance for the smallholders are minimal still. European Union needs to reinforce the support and financial system for the smallholders so that the smallholders would obey EUDR itself,” he said.
He also emphasized it would be significant to involve smallholders in palm oil supply chain to get traded in the continent. “The supports from the operators and companies to make sure that the smallholders would be involved in their supply chain should be realized by reinforcing the traceability system. It includes the service, such as, help to get polygon maps and coordinate spots of the smallholders’ plantations,” he said.
The idea to postpone EUDR implementation delivered response from the planters for they thought, they would be well prepard. But the smallholders hoped the postponement would be the moment to reinforce the support and financial system so they would be fully involved in sustainable supply chain globally.
