Dutch ambassador to Malaysia said member states and European Commission not behind Parliament’s palm oil ban

In Malaysia, the Ambassador to Malaysia from the Netherlands says the European Union member states nor the European Commission have a position on the recommendation made by the European Parliament to end the use of palm oil in biodiesel by 2020, instead saying that a balanced approach must be found that takes into consideration the rural development provided by palm oil production with the environmental concerns raised by MEPs. The European Parliament’s own initiatives such as the ban on palm oil do not become policy until member states agree and the European Commission has weighed in.