The Task Force is a crucial, and possibly replicable forum in which to discuss the critical and urgent issues of forest protection and the interconnection with economic opportunities. [...] We call on the future College of the Commission to bring more joined up thinking from within the Commission and make a more compelling offer of partnership to Indonesia and Malaysia. [...] This is an opportunity to achieve the aim of the EU's 2019 Communication on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world’s forests by identifying real incentives to protect forests and forest peoples’ rights.1 Strong siloes within the European Union hamper meaningful partnership: We are also concerned that EU representatives came mainly from the Directorate- General (DG) for Environment. [...] The Indonesian government was also ambitious in stating that the National Dashboard would provide all the data the EUDR would need, despite the facts that the National Dashboard is at an initial stage and that there are serious concerns regarding its transparency and lack of inclusivity. [...] Failure to treat central issues of importance to smallholders: Both governments relied heavily on the pretence of concern for smallholders despite not knowing how many independent smallholders are in the EU supply chain or what the impact of the EUDR would be.
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Table of Contents
- Last week the European Commission proposed to postpone application of the EU 1
- Deforestation Regulation EUDR by a year and signalled that it will use this time to 1
- The EU has already started partnership discussions with Indonesia and Malaysia. The 1
- However the undersigned stakeholders who were observers to the process have 1
- Lack of inclusive representation 2
- A central problem is that NGOs Indigenous 2
- Peoples organisations and smallholder organisations were not allowed to be 2
- Lack of political will 2
- Another issue is the lack of political will from all Parties to 2
- Commission to bring more joined up thinking from within the Commission and make 2
- Strong siloes within the European Union hamper meaningful partnership 2
- General DG for Environment who has been leading the EUDR file. The absence of 2
- Honour and build on existing partnerships 2
- The EU has existing partnerships to 2
- Indonesia Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade FLEGT Voluntary 2
- Partnership Agreement VPA when it should be leaning in. As the VPA is a trade 2
- Failure to enter a real dialogue 2
- As observers we felt the gathering missed an 2
- For example the EUs outlook was overly optimistic claiming that the guidelines and 3
- Dashboard is at an initial stage and that there are serious concerns regarding its 3
- The Malaysian government requested that the EU accept their own weaker forest 3
- While the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil MSPO certificate theoretically requires a 3
- 2019 cutoff date for conversion from forest to oil palm plantations actual 3
- Failure to treat central issues of importance to smallholders 3
- Both governments 3
- EUDR would be. In reality very few independent smallholders are Roundtable on 3
- Sustainable Palm Oil RSPO certified which is a requirement for EU market access. 3
- There was no serious discussion of important issues such as how to increase and 3
- In conclusion while we recognise that improving national certification schemes 3
- Bruno Manser Fonds Switzerland 4
- Fern Belgium United Kingdom 4
- Human Rights Watch United States 4
- Institute for Ecosoc Rights Indonesia 4
- Jaringan Pemantau Independen Kehutanan JPIK Indonesia 4
- Madani Berkelanjutan Indonesia 4
- Keruan Malaysia 4
- RimbaWatch Malaysia 4
- Satya Bumi Indonesia 4
- SAVE Rivers Network Malaysia 4
- Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit SPKS Indonesia 4
- The Borneo Project United States 4
