Letter to the editor – Switzerland could become a loophole

On the trade agreement with Indonesia, vote of March 7th

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After a yes to the corporate responsibility initiative, the trade agreement with Indonesia could have been approved. However, because the corporate responsibility has failed because of the stalls, there is no longer any great chance that “sustainable palm oil production” will actually be enforced by Switzerland against third-world suppliers. On the contrary: Switzerland could become a loophole for Indonesia in order to circumvent the requirements of the EU. Half a century ago, Switzerland was a pioneer in Europe when it comes to environmental protection. Even at the unspeakably slow pace of the EU, we have in the meantime actually managed to fall behind in many areas.

Jürg Röthlisberger, Cham

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