Hanoi (VNA) – The European Commission (EC) has recognised Vietnam’s quick action in adapting to the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), saying Vietnam's message of turning challenges into opportunities has inspired the EC in working with partners, a global model in this regard.

The information was revealed at a working session between a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), led by Minister Le Minh Hoan, and the EC’s agencies in Brussels, Belgium on September 18.

During working sessions with the EC Commissioner for Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius, Hoan clearly stated that the Vietnamese Government's policy is to guide agriculture towards an ecological, green, and sustainable direction.

Vietnam not only wants to implement international commitments but to create new values for agricultural development accompanied by environmental protection, preserving resources for future generations, and contributing to global sustainable development, he said.

The minister also highlighted the Vietnamese Government's commitment to developing a transparent, responsible, and sustainable agricultural sector as Vietnam has become a major food supplier in the world.

Regarding EUDR, Hoan said that Vietnam's message of compliance with the regulations meets the requirements of exporting coffee, rubber, wood, and wood products to the EU market. It is also an opportunity to develop Vietnam's agriculture sector in line with the sector's strategic orientation of transparency, responsibility, sustainability, and green growth. As soon as EC approved the EUDR, MARD participated in many in-depth discussions at both EC’s technical and leadership levels, as well as quickly directed specialised agencies to prepare the adaptation action plan framework with the EUDR, which put forth specific solutions and assigned agencies to implement them. For its part, the EC believes that cooperation and partnership with Vietnam will contribute to promoting sustainable global trade. In this first step, the EC will implement the project "Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems" (SAFE Project) to support the inclusive transformation of sustainable supply chains without deforestation in accordance with EUDR in Vietnam. In particular, the project will focus on the coffee industry, which is the main industry affected by this regulation. At the same time, the EC encourages large multinational corporations and development organisations such as the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) to cooperate with MARD in the form of public-private partnerships. This cooperation aims to build information systems, cultivation area data, and traceability in an effective, appropriate, and low-cost manner and transform livelihoods for farmers in at-risk areas, it said, adding that this is the foundation to ensure Vietnam is included in the low-risk group when applying the EUDR and to build a reputation and brand for Vietnamese agricultural products at present and in the future. In the context that agents participating in the industry value chain in Vietnam are mainly small-scale and have limited resources, Hoan suggested the EC’s agencies strengthen cooperation with the country as well as have solutions to minimise costs for agents in the value chain when adapting to EUDR, especially in terms of positioning and traceability data. The minister also called on the EU to coordinate with MARD and international organisations such as IDH and other certification organisations to verify the risk level of Vietnam's coffee production areas in order to apply appropriate measures. He suggested the EC build a strategic partnership with Vietnam in the field of agriculture, making the country a case of support from the EU and its partners in implementing EUDR adaptation. In particular, it is necessary to provide technical assistance for Vietnam. This includes technical guidance, capacity improvement, building a database and information systems, forest status maps and traceability certification. A hotline to handle problems in carrying out EUDR should be set up, he said, adding that it is necessary for the EC to have a specific process and roadmap for the implementation./.