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WORLDWIDE BIODIVERSITY/FOREST CAMPAIGN NEWS

Indonesian Legislators Learn of Ecolabeling

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

1/23/95

OVERVIEW & SOURCE

Greenpeace Australia posted this information pertaining to

Indonesia's forest ecolabeling program in econet's rainfor.general

conference.

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/** rainfor.genera: 152.0 **/

** Topic: "News from Indonesia", December 94 **

** Written 2:11 PM Jan 23, 1995 by gn:gpaustria in

cdp:rainfor.genera **

Smooth Trade needs Understanding of Ecolabeling

A heated debate at the House of Representatives recently brought a

new perspective on ecolabeling among legislators, following a

formal explanation by Emil Salim, now Chairman of Indonesia's

Ecolabeling Agency.

Emil Salim, formerly Minister of Environment, made it clear that

Indonesia would be shunned by the international business community

if the country disregarded international ecolabeling requirements.

Some members of the House Commission on Environment Affairs were

suspicious whether the requirement of ecolabeling were merely a

political ploy of the developed countries to pressure Indonesia in

the field of trade.

In answer Emil Salim explained that ecolabeling was meant to

enable consumers to freely choose the best product just as they

are free to pick the restaurant they enter. Consumers have the

right to ask whether a product comes from a sustainably-managed

forest or not. Undeniably some developed countries seem to be

exerting their trade strategies on other countries under the

pretext of environment preservation.

Salim cited the US-Mexiko conflict in which the US imposed a ban

on tuna fish imported from its southern neighbor. The US blamed

the mass killing of dolphins on excess of tuna exploitation in

Mexiko.

Similarly Indonesia faces pressure from the international trade

community on allegations that the country has excessively

exploited its forests. Indonesia consequently must implement

ecolabeling before 2000.

Indonesia has to heed the lesson of Mexico if it needs the

recognition of the international business community.

Another Indonesian leader, Environment Minister Sarwono

Kusumaatmadja said the country needs to bear in mind the

international consumers movement.

"The movement is, in fact, the force that actually pushes

countries to take into account the close relation between

environment and trade."

Among countries with ecolabeling are those of the European Union

(EU), the US, Canada, Germany, India, the Nordic countries,

Singapore and South Korea.

Meanwhile, the International Standardization Organisation (ISO)

has set up a new special commission for environment, popularly

named TO 2000. International trade will be more closely related to

environment due to the establishment of the commission, said a

noted Indonesian environment expert, Otto Soemarwoto. "And as the

TO 2000 is dominated by Northern countries, the relationship will

be more colored by the North's perception."

The constant ecolabeling campaigns by the North in the framework

of environmental preservation apparently will make the

implementation of ecolabeling important for the South, in

particular Indonesia.

Early this year, Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin

Soerjohadikoesoemo set up the Indonesian Ecolabel Agency (LEI)

which managed ecolabeling procedures for the Forestry sector.

It was followed by the establishment of a LEI working group

consisting of several Non-Governmental Organizations in the

forestry field.

The working group had held a series of meetings with forestry

businessmen, scientists, academics and governmental institutions

in order to formulate requirements for forestry management which

is in accordance with the terms made by the International Tropical

Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Forest Stewardship Council

(FSC).

The criteria for forestry management had been tried out in three

forest concessions in Riau and East Kalimantan in July 1994. The

results of the trial implementation were re-evaluated at an

international meeting in Pacet, around 70 km East of Bandung, in

September 1994.

Decisions reached at the Pacet Meeting will be implemented early

1995. "In determining ecolabel criteria we must be assertive to

assure countries in the North that the implementation of the

ecolabeling is not merely for developing countries but also for

rich nations."

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