Kateřina KONEČN&Aacute; (GUE/NGL,CZ), rapporteur, expresses herself in the EP in Brussels, prior to the debate on her report concerning palm oil and deforestation of rainforests during the EP plenary session (3-6 April 2017) in Strasbourg,

Brussels

statement

KONEČNÁ, Kateřina (The Left, CZ)

environmental protection (T)

deforestation

Palm oil and deforestation of rainforests: statement by Kateřina KONEČNÁ (GUE/NGL,CZ), rapporteur

SOUNDBITE (Czech), KONE&#268;N&#193; Kate&#345;ina (GUE/NGL, CZ), Rapporteur, EU is the second biggest palm oil consumer in the world. Although it is trying to become the most important player regarding how to limit its consumption, we are still the second biggest consumer and we still have it in the products where it does not belong and where is completely useless.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), KONE&#268;N&#193; Kate&#345;ina (GUE/NGL, CZ), Rapporteur, Palm oil is today de facto everywhere or almost everywhere. There are companies, which are scrapping it out of their products, but we can find it in food, in cosmetics, in baby food. What we consider a big problem is, that 46% of palm oil production is used for biofuels. Which is according to us, completely useless/needles.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), KONE&#268;N&#193; Kate&#345;ina (GUE/NGL, CZ), Rapporteur,  I don't know if we manage to keep this (in the report) but I think the EP should be very ambitious and we should clearly say to the EC, that there should not be palm oil in biofuels, that we do not want it there and we want such a biofuels to be invented which do not destroy people&acute;s lives and biodiversity

SOUNDBITE (Czech), KONE&#268;N&#193; Kate&#345;ina (GUE/NGL, CZ), Rapporteur, If EU says it wants to respect the COP22 agreement, that it wants to respect the UN agreement on sustainable development, is has to realise that the palm oil is one of the elements which very much breach these agreements. Because it destroys the biodiversity, rainforests, causes a big migration waves, because these people are not able to live there. I think that at this moment, EU must go all the steps it is able to take; it means reports or clear steps against deforestation. And decrease the consumption of the palm oil here in EU.