The ministry said the special committee, which also involves the natural resources and environmental sustainability as well as investment, trade and industry ministries, held its first meeting today in Putrajaya.

It added that the committee’s key priority would be to ensure Malaysia was classified as a low-risk country under the EUDR, which comes into effect on Dec 30.

“This includes strengthening national traceability systems and ensuring the provision of credible forest data to the global forest resources assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which forms the quantitative basis for EUDR’s country risk assessment.

“The committee will also serve as the main channel for Malaysia’s engagement with the European Commission, including the submission of official datasets, policy updates and participation in technical exchanges,” the ministry said in a statement.

It added that this reflected the government’s commitment to sustainability across key commodities like palm oil, rubber, timber and cocoa, which reached RM186 billion in exports in 2024.

The EUDR was initially scheduled to be implemented on Dec 30, 2024, but has been delayed to Dec 30 this year for large operators and traders.

Micro and small companies will have to comply with the rules by June 30, 2026.

In March, Johari said about 70-80% of Malaysian oil palm smallholders were ready to comply with the EU regulations, adding that the ministry was working to help smallholders in this matter.