CSVN – More than 500 Malaysian smallholders have signed a petition urging the European Union (EU) to reconsider the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which they claim is discriminatory and unfairly protectionist.
A Collective Petition from Key Agricultural Agencies
The petition was submitted to the EU Delegation to Malaysia by six major agencies representing the palm oil and rubber sectors:
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The Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA)
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The National Association of Smallholders Malaysia (NASH)
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The Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA)
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The Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (DOPPA)
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The Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (FELCRA)
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The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA)
These six organizations jointly called on the EU to stop discriminatory practices and unfair protectionist actionsembedded in the EUDR, arguing that it threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of smallholders who rely on palm oil and rubber exports to the European market.
The petition demanded that the EU recognize Malaysia’s national sustainability certification scheme – the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) – and remove Malaysia from the list of “high-risk” countries under the EUDR classification.
“Malaysia Has Proven Its Commitment to Sustainability”
Speaking at the Forum on the Impact of the EUDR on Smallholders and Malaysia’s Agricultural Industry held at Menara Felda on March 15, NASH Vice President Adzmi Hassan emphasized:
“Malaysia has an excellent record in forest protection and sustainable production. The mandatory MSPO certification proves Malaysia’s commitment to sustainability across various dimensions. Labeling Malaysia as a high-risk country undermines the government’s efforts to protect the environment.”
He further noted:
“Hundreds of thousands of smallholders in Malaysia depend on income from palm oil and rubber exports to secure their livelihoods and the future of rural communities. The EUDR imposes excessive and unfair burdens on smallholders, restricting market access for their products in the EU.”
“Specifically, the EUDR’s unilateral and unrealistic requirement for full traceability and geolocation of production sites will lower living standards, reduce incomes, and ultimately derail the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).”
EUDR Seen as a Non-Tariff Barrier
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof explained that once the EUDR takes effect, any commodities imported into the EU must be verified as deforestation-free after December 31, 2020.
He described the regulation as a non-tariff trade barrier targeting Malaysia’s key agricultural exports — including palm oil, rubber, cocoa, and timber products — and warned that it would increase production costs and erode the competitiveness of Malaysia’s commodities in global markets.