28/01/2021 (Agence Europe) – Six countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participated, alongside the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), in the first joint working group on palm oil on Wednesday 27 January. The participants were to discuss the sustainability of vegetable oils. This meeting also takes place in a context where the two largest palm oil producers - Indonesia and Malaysia - have both initiated WTO dispute settlement proceedings against the European Union (see EUROPE 12639/19) regarding its measures against biofuels. The first action identified by the working group is an intensified dialogue between members to address the challenges of sustainable vegetable oil production. The group will meet again in April and additional expert meetings will take place in the meantime. (LM)