Buon Me Thuot, 12 July 2024. Taking full effect starting 30 December 2024, the EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) requires that agricultural products imported into the EU market and exported from the EU do not originate from land which contributes to deforestation and forest degradation (after the cut-off date of 31 December 2020). According to the EUDR, some of Viet Nam’s main export commodities such as coffee, timber and rubber must be traceable at farm level.

On 12 July in the Vietnamese Central Highlands, the International Cooperation Department (ICD) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the EU Delegation to Vietnam organised a “Technical exchange on EUDR and deforestation-free supply chains in Vietnam”, to review the status of preparations to meet with EUDR requirements and supporting tools for implementation in Viet Nam.

Co-chaired by ICD Director General Dr Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, and Dr Rui Ludovino, First Counsellor of Climate Action, Environment, Employment and Social Policies at the EU Delegation to Vietnam, the event was attended by about 70 representatives from departments under MARD, local authorities in the Central Highlands provinces and districts, non-state actors, the private sector – including producers, enterprises, business associations for coffee, timber and rubber products – and other domestic and international organisations.

Following a technical meeting in March 2024, this exchange formed part of a series of joint actions between the ICD and EU Delegation to Vietnam in order to provide a platform for mutual exchanges and dialogues amongst key stakeholders on deforestation-free, legal and traceable supply chains and in navigating the EUDR. Feedback and concerns from the Vietnamese side were collected – particularly pertaining to the country’s coffee, rubber and timbre sectors – with a view towards enabling deforestation-free and legal supply chains.

At the event, ICD Director General Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan emphasised: “Viet Nam’s readiness to meet with EUDR requirements does not only mean complying with requirements of a market with high standards for agricultural exports, but is also an opportunity for our agricultural sector to transition towards green, sustainable direction and in line with the orientation of agricultural, farmer-oriented and rural development.”

Dr. Rui Ludovino shared: “The EUDR will contribute to reducing global deforestation and forest degradation worldwide, therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to address two major contemporary crises: the loss of biodiversity, and climate change. The increase of EU demand for and trade in legal, deforestation-free commodities and products will create opportunities for small-scale farmers in Vietnam. Indeed, compliance to the EUDR will improve their production systems, furthering product quality and traceability along the supply chain; subsequently, the price of the products and farmers’ livelihoods will also be increased.”

Background

Delegation of the EU to Viet Nam (through the "EUDR Engagement" project) works closely with Vietnamese partners to facilitate communication and dialogue surrounding the EUDR. The Vietnamese Government, at both central and local levels, is actively preparing and supporting Vietnamese stakeholders to enhance deforestation-free and legal supply chains in line with the EU and Vietnam’s joint international objectives on climate and biodiversity loss.

The EU's Commitment to deforestation-free supply chains

Through the EUDR, the EU aims to minimize its contribution to global deforestation and forest degradation, thereby mitigating climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting biodiversity. The EUDR aligns with the EU's commitment to the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It is important to reiterate that the EUDR focuses on companies, not countries or third-country producers. It shifts the focus from voluntary action to a regulatory framework by mandating due diligence for companies placing relevant products on the EU market.

Further information on the EUDR can be found at: Key documents on the EU's Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR)

The full version of EUDR can be found at: PE-82-2022-INIT_en.pdf (europa.eu)