Rubber industry adaptive to EU Deforestation Regulation

In fact, the industry has implemented action strategies for the sustainable development of forest resources and climate change mitigation for over five years. According to Truong Minh Trung, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG), since 2019, the group has been implementing the Sustainable Forest Management Certification under the Vietnam Forest Certification Scheme (VFCS/PEFC).

To date, 18 member units of the VRG have been granted the Sustainable Forest Management Certification under VFCS/PEFC, covering approximately 120,000 hectares of rubber plantations, and 38 factories have earned the PEFC CoC certification (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification/Chain of Custody). Every year, its member units produce over 100,000 tonnes of certified rubber latex.

In December 2024, the EUDR is set to take effect for large companies, with a phased implementation for small and medium-sised enterprises (SMEs) beginning June 30, 2025. However, on October 2, 2024, EU authorities announced a proposal to delay the regulation’s enforcement. Under the revised timeline, the regulation will now be enforced starting January 2025 for large companies.

The VRG has already taken steps to comply with the regulation, Trung said, adding that the group is prioritising companies that hold the VFCS/PEFC certification, and will then expand the implementation to other domestic companies, as well as those in Laos and Cambodia./.