Michelin 'supports' natural rubber inclusion in EU deforestation regulation

Paris – Michelin Group has voiced support for the inclusion of natural rubber (NR) in proposed EU deforestation regulations, provided that necessary amendments are made to address traceability in the industry.

In a statement issued 25 Nov, the French group said it was “in favour of any actions and regulations for a sustainable natural rubber industry that considers the specificities of the value chain.”

The value-chain, emphasised the tire & rubber products maker, is “composed of millions of rubber farmers, and hundreds of thousands of intermediaries.”

Michelin, therefore, supports to the inclusion of NR in the deforestation regulation if “traceability’s requirements are adapted to the [0complex and fragmented] natural rubber supply-chain.”

This, the group explained, means extending traceability requirements to an area greater than a single plot of land, and considering traceability at district level –  for example, 25 km x 25 km.

The current draft EU regulation aims to prohibit the sale of six agricultural products - coffee, cocoa, palm oil, soya, beef and wood - linked to deforestation.

Natural rubber is not currently included in the list of commodities, but the European Parliament is pushing to include the product within the regulation.

Final discussions on the issue between EU member states, the European Parliament, and the European Commission are due to take place on 5 Dec.