In a joint statement today, the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) stated that Indonesia and Malaysia agreed that the joint task force with the European Commission (EC) will focus on the relevant commodities in both countries, in particular palm oil, wood, rubber, coffee and cocoa.

The joint task force comprises government representatives and stakeholders from both countries.

They include commodities associations, smallholders, workers associations and civil society organisations. It is aimed at enhancing dialogue on supply chain traceability and transparency.

The council said the joint task force will examine the situation for relevant commodities in Indonesia and Malaysia within the scope of the EUDR for the EU market.

“All three partners will appoint a single point of entry and immediately discuss and conclude the terms of reference of the joint task force,” said the statement.

Top officials from Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s biggest producers of palm oil, were recently in Brussels to voice concern over the EUDR, which they believe could be detrimental to small farming businesses and exclude them from the global supply chain.

In a Reuters report, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs Airlangga Hartarto said last month that the law would burden smallholders with onerous administrative procedures.

Malaysia and Indonesia account for about 85% of global palm oil exports and the EU is their third-largest market.

Both Southeast Asian countries have accused the EU of discriminatory policies targeting palm oil and Malaysia previously said it could stop exports to the EU over the deforestation law.

The EU’s landmark deforestation law bans imports of coffee, beef, soy and other commodities into the bloc unless companies can provide “verifiable” information that the products were not grown on land that was deforested after 2020.