Malaysia to fight 'no palm oil' label issue in Europe

Malaysia is set to go all out to fight the 'no palm oil' label issue in the European region, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.

“We are going to go all out in engaging with various countries (the European Union),” he told Malaysian media at the end of his three-day official visit here.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said Malaysia would also work with Indonesia to engage with European Union member countries to address the no palm oil label issue.

He said Malaysia cannot allow the countries to damage the prospect of Malaysia’s golden crop in the region and hence the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council will work on this.

According to several reports, there are about 1,500 products with no palm oil label in France, Belgium and Italy.

Such labelling can be categorised as a non-trade barrier and a move to deny market access for palm oil.

The Prime Minister had also discussed the same issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in his bilateral meeting on Tuesday.

He had explained to her that Malaysia subscribes to sustainable development of the palm oil industry and there is no 'slash and burn' policy.

He also invited German lawmakers to see it for themselves.

Najib said Merkel had assured Malaysia that Germany has no plans to impose any tax on palm oil.

“They (Germany) will also not support any practice of no palm oil label in Germany,” said the Prime Minister. -- BERNAMA