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Deputy Minister chastises EU for ‘discriminatory’ leaked documents
The leak may strain the already prolonged deliberations on the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-EPA).
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A worker assesses palm fruit from a dwarf palm oil tree at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board research plantation in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia, on Sept. 18. (Bloomberg/Joshua Paul)
D
eputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Siregar has sent an official letter to European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström chastising the EU for attitudes expressed in documents recently leaked to the website Palm Oil Monitor.
Mahendra said the Indonesian government was let down by the sentiments expressed in the internal EU documents. He said the EU discriminated against palm oil exports.
“While the [Indonesian government] considers it pointless and counter-productive to debate the authenticity of the [EU Renewable Energy Directive] RED II-Delegated Act leak or its contents, it is clear that the intention of the EU is to discriminate against palm oil exports by resorting to scientifically flawed findings on high ILUC [indirect land use change] to favor of home-produced rapeseed – as well as excluding soya to avoid retaliation from the United States,” Mahendra wrote in the letter dated Nov. 6.
The disclosed documents may strain the prolonged deliberations on the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-EPA).
“In the interim, and in light of the disclosed documents on EU policy, the government of Indonesia will review the chapter on sustainable development in the CEPA and you will be informed accordingly once this revision is complete,” Mahendra wrote.
“These revisions will be made in a genuine spirit of good faith, but the past modifications proposed by the EU will evidently deserve closer attention and scrutiny,” he added.
Mahendra was not available for comment at the time of writing.
