EU Public Opinion on Palm Oil Remains Negative

Despite continuous efforts to promote the palm oil industry, consultations with various stakeholders in the European Union (EU) and the strengthening of engagement with end-users, public opinion regarding palm oil in the EU is still negative due to concerns on climate change, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.
    French Ambassador to Malaysia, Frederic Laplanche, suggested that both Malaysia and the EU enhanced cooperation in seeking solutions to address the public concerns and sentiments, particularly on the deforestation issues in this region. “We have got to face it together. My hope is that we can cooperate and not stay at the stage where we shout at and criticise each other without understanding.”
Laplanche said France was aware of and understood the importance of palm oil to the Malaysian economy and had acted as an intermediary within the EU so it would not adopt a discriminatory policy on the commodity, especially in the interest of smallholders.