Eco-labeling is a stupid demand: German association<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The practice of eco-labeling, required by a
\nnumber of developed countries for imported tropical forest
\nproducts, is a \"stupid\" one, the general manager of the German
\nWoodworking Machinery Manufacturers Association says.<\/p>\n
Werner Neubauer told journalists here yesterday that Germany
\nhas never bothered to set environmental standards for any wood
\nproducts from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"It's stupid of them to impose such a requirement as they will
\nlose chances to do business in wood products,\" Neubauer told a
\npress conference on his country's participation at the
\nWoodworking and Forestry Indonesia '94 at the Jakarta Fairground
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
German exhibitors, 50 companies occupying some 1,300 square
\nmeters at the fairground, are the largest foreign contingent at
\nthe international forestry expo, which will last until Saturday.<\/p>\n
To deal with eco-labeling standards, Neubauer suggested that
\nIndonesia invite representatives of concerned countries to
\nIndonesia to look at its forest management. \"If necessary, also
\ninvite journalists from those countries.\"<\/p>\n
Neubauer said eco-labeling measures were not taken by the
\nCommission of the European Union but were by some individual
\nEuropean countries like Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland.<\/p>\n
He noted that he is confident that the German government,
\nunder Chancellor Helmut Kohl, will not introduce new restrictive
\npractices such as environmental standards, which have been
\naccepted by most developed countries.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very happy that he was reelected as chancellor. He is a
\nchancellor who really takes care of the German economy,\" Neubauer
\ntold The Jakarta Post, commenting on Kohl's reelection as
\nchancellor by the German parliament on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Boycott<\/p>\n
Early this year, however, some 400 city administrations in
\nGermany reportedly boycotted Indonesian wood products. According
\nto Muhammad (Bob) Hasan, chairman of the Association of
\nIndonesian Wood Panel Producers (Apkindo), the boycott was
\nmotivated more by commercial objectives and a limitation on
\nimports from Indonesia rather than by environmental concern.<\/p>\n
For the first six months of this year, Indonesian exports of
\nwood products declined by 5.9 percent to 4.6 million tons worth
\nUS$3.1 billion.<\/p>\n
Indonesian imports of woodworking machinery from Germany last
\nyear decreased by 140 percent to $37 million from $90 million in
\n1992.<\/p>\n
\"This year, I hope it will be increasing,\" Neubauer said,
\nadding that the decrease of Indonesia's imports of German
\nwoodworking equipment might result from its policy of reducing
\nimports in general.<\/p>\n
He said Germany's woodworking machinery exports to Asian
\ncountries accounted for 17 percent of its total exports. The
\nlargest Asian importing countries are Japan, China, Malaysia and
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
He predicted that wood products would regain worldwide
\npopularity in the future, especially for furniture, home and
\noffice interiors, as raw materials are more abundant than steel
\nor plastics. (rid)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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