Ruling on foodstuff shipping slammed<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): The European Union (EU) came under fire
\nyesterday from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\nfor requiring bulk foodstuffs imported from this region to be
\ntransported by dedicated vessels.<\/p>\n
"This directive would adversely affect ASEAN exports of
\nfoodstuffs, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil,
\nwhich are important exports of ASEAN to the EU," ASEAN
\nagriculture ministers said in a joint statement here.<\/p>\n
The communique was issued at the end of their two-day meeting,
\nduring which the European Commission Directive on Hygiene of
\nFoodstuffs to be implemented on Dec. 14 was among the most
\ndebated topics, officials said.<\/p>\n
The directive required "bulk foodstuffs in liquid, granular or
\npowder form from ASEAN to be transported in receptacles,
\ncontainers and tankers reserved for the transport of foodstuffs."<\/p>\n
"Why issue the directive now when all this while the foodstuff
\nfrom us have been found to be safe?" said Sulaiman Daud, the
\nagriculture minister of Malaysia, the world's leading exporter of
\npalm oil.<\/p>\n
Philippine agriculture undersecretary Manuel Lantin said
\ncoconut farmers in the Philippines, a top coconut oil exporter,
\nwere concerned over the directive because they would have to
\nincur additional shipping charges.<\/p>\n
Lantin said that ASEAN, most of whose members are exporters of
\nprimary commodities, would spare no effort to influence the EU to
\noverturn the directive. "We are going to lobby for this."<\/p>\n
Singapore's national development minister Lim Hng Kiang, who
\nchaired the meeting, said ASEAN would bring up the issue at its
\nregular dialogue session with the EU in October.<\/p>\n
Concern<\/p>\n
The ASEAN agriculture ministers also expressed concern over
\nthe unilateral action taken by some local authorities in the EU
\nrestricting the use of tropical timber.<\/p>\n
Some local authorities had also introduced schemes that
\nrequired tropical timber and forest products to be labeled and
\nbacked by certificates approving their use, they noted.<\/p>\n
"We have worked together with EU and the international
\ncommunity on certain agreed standards. What we are urging now is
\nto abide by these agreements and not to have unilateral national
\nstandards as this will be putting things back," Lim said.<\/p>\n
The joint statement said that any certification and labeling
\nscheme proposed by the EU for timber and forest products should
\napply to all types of timber, including temperate timber from
\nEurope itself.<\/p>\n
The scheme, they said, should be based on internationally-
\nagreed criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management.<\/p>",
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