THE Netherlands has joined a few other European Union (EU) countries opposing the proposed ban on palm oil by the European Parliament.

Netherlands Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag said the country did not support discriminatory measures or differentiation between products and called for a dialogue on the palm oil issue.

“Nobody should be penalised, alternatives need to be created and we need to be discussing this in a proper format where there is full understanding of the local situation and what the global market development can deliver,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the Dutch Approach to Innovation and High-Tech Development Seminar in Kuala Lumpur today.

International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed was present.

The European Parliament resolution on January 17 calls for the phasing out of palm oil from the EU biofuel programme by 2020 because it results in the destruction of forests

France, Sweden and the UK spoke against the resolution.

Kaag said the Netherlands commended Malaysia’s efforts in the transitioning of palm oil towards sustainability without undermining the livelihood of smallholders.

“Sustainable development is one of win-win for everybody. There can’t be winners and losers and we need to construct this together,” she said.

Mustapa said he will meet Kaag and Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Mah Siew Keong tomorrow to further discuss the issue.

Over the past year, the European Parliament, accusing palm oil producers of deforestation, has twice voted in favour of resolutions that, if implemented, would restrict palm oil imports to the bloc.

Last month, members of the European Parliament voted for a total ban on palm oil in biofuels by 2021, while in April 2017 they requested the EU phase out the use of vegetable oils that drive deforestation by 2020.

Meanwhile, Mustapa said his meeting with Kaag also touched on the possibility of relaunching the Malaysia-EU Free-Trade agreement (FTA) this year, as well as recent developments on the multilateral front.

He said the revival of the negotiation, which halted in 2012, was mooted during his visit to the Netherlands last October.

In 2017, Malaysia’s trade with Netherlands reached RM34.8 billion, of which 77.4% was contributed by exports.

Malaysia’s exports to the Netherlands grew 22.7%, while imports increased by 11.7%. – Bernama, February 8, 2018.