 A ceremony to export coffee to the EU under the EVFTA (illustrative photo: VOV) |
The EU has some of the world’s highest environmental standards. Recently the EU has tightened regulations starting with the approval of the Green Deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the EU at least 55% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Meeting the EU’s requirements is a challenge for Vietnamese businesses, said Ngo Chung Khanh, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
“Many EU regulations don’t directly target the exporters but EU importers. They have paid more attention to the way we make products, to whether the production is sustainable or not, the impact on the environment, and how we treat laborers. Vietnam must pay attention to both the EU regulations and EU consumers,” said Mr. Khanh.
The EU’s green standards cover all kinds of products, including Vietnam’s main export items like agro‑forestry goods, timber products, garments, textiles, leather, and footwear.
Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, Director of the Center for WTO and International Trade of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “The EU’s green transition has a roadmap and timetable for EU businesses and their partners and suppliers, including those from Vietnam, to adapt to the process. The EU’s green transition sets out specific requirements. In fact many Vietnamese sectors have implemented the EU’s requirements on sustainable production.”
Many sectors in Vietnam have shifted to modern production model, focusing on environmental factors, sustainable development, digital transformation, and new technology to meet the EU’s sustainability standards.