Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Government of Indonesia and the European Union (EU) held a bilateral dialogue to discuss the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) on June 4, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium.
The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Umar Hadi, Director General for American and European Affairs at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms. Sarah Nelen, Acting Director for Green Diplomacy and Multilateralism at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV); and Mr. Taneli Lahti, Director for Global Issues at the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Both sides used the occasion to exchange views and clarify their respective positions regarding the implementation and implications of the EUDR.
The Indonesian government expressed its official position that the EUDR was established unilaterally without prior consultation with producing countries and that its extraterritorial implications are concerning.
The regulation is seen as potentially harming over 8 million smallholder farmers in Indonesia, disrupting supply chains, and creating new barriers to global trade.
In an official release from the Ministry of Forestry on Tuesday (June 11, 2025), Indonesia also raised concerns over the lack of transparency and scientific rigor in the country benchmarking process, particularly as it relies on outdated global data such as the Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) by the FAO.
As an alternative, Indonesia emphasized the strength of its nationally validated forest monitoring system, SIMONTANA (National Forest Monitoring System), established in 2000. SIMONTANA has made significant contributions to reducing deforestation over the past two decades.
During the forum, Indonesia submitted a list of written questions to the EU seeking clarification on the legal basis and methodology behind the risk classification, recognition of national legality systems, potential inconsistencies with WTO rules, and the administrative burdens on smallholder farmers—especially concerning geolocation and digital traceability requirements.
The EU committed to providing written responses to these questions in the near future.
Indonesia welcomed the ongoing technical cooperation efforts but stressed the need for more substantial support.
The country hopes that future cooperation will be developed collaboratively, be responsive to national needs, and proportionate to the real challenges faced on the ground.
As a follow-up, both parties agreed to continue thematic technical dialogues, including technical exchanges on national forest mapping between SIMONTANA and the EU Forest Observatory (EUFO), as well as efforts to ensure integration and compatibility of information systems between the two sides. (*)
