European businesses pledge to accompany Vietnam in sustainable development

The European business community is committed to long-term cooperation with Vietnam in sustainable development and promoting a circular economy.

On the morning of November 26, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh received and worked with the delegation of the European-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), discussing the legal framework, circular economy, recycling and agricultural-environmental cooperation.

At the meeting, Ms. Li Chen, Member of the EU-ABC Executive Board, Director of ASEAN Public Relations of HSBC, introduced EU-ABC as an organization recognized by the European Commission and the ASEAN Secretariat as representing the European business community operating in Southeast Asia, in which EuroCham represents the European business community in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh received and worked with the delegation of the European-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham). Photo: Linh Linh.

The year 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the European Union (1990-2025), an important milestone opening a period of deeper and more comprehensive cooperation between the two sides. On this occasion, EU-ABC and EuroCham expressed their respect and appreciation for the efforts of the Government of Vietnam, especially the leading role of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in developing and amending important bills in 2025 such as the Land Law and the Law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of laws in the fields of agriculture and environment.

According to Ms. Li Chen, the current process of perfecting the law creates important opportunities to strengthen environmental protection, respond to climate change, and at the same time promote green transformation, develop smart agriculture, and increase added value in agricultural production, areas that the European business community is particularly interested in and is ready to accompany and support.

In order to realize the commitment to accompany the Vietnamese Government in the above priorities, and at the same time support members to promote investment on the basis of establishing a platform for constructive dialogue between the Government and businesses, EU-ABC and EuroCham jointly organized a High-Level European Business Delegation to work in Vietnam from November 24 to 27, followed by the Green Economy Forum (GEF) 2025 chaired by EuroCham.

Ms. Li Chen, Member of the EU-ABC Executive Board, Head of ASEAN Public Relations of HSBC and Mr. Torben Minko - Member of the Board of Directors of EuroCham Vietnam, Managing Director, B. Braun Vietnam, took a souvenir photo with Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh. Photo: Linh Linh.

At the working session, representatives of businesses in the delegation said that the European business community is committed to long-term companionship with Vietnam in sustainable development, with the desire to promote the circular economic model and efficient use of resources.

Listening to the opinions, Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh expressed his thanks for the practical issues raised by businesses, affirming that the Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment always care about the environment, climate change, and sustainable development.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh affirmed that, implementing the Party and Government's policies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is continuing to build and amend legal regulations to develop agriculture not only as a simple production sector, but also as a high value-added commodity production sector, capable of meeting strict market requirements, including the European market.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh acknowledged and thanked European businesses for their participation and support, including their practical contributions to natural disaster prevention and control, and post-disaster emergency support; and welcomed continued cooperation in the fields of remote sensing, spatial data, etc. Photo: Linh Linh.

Regarding resource use, the Ministry is perfecting policies so that land, water, mineral and forest resources are strictly managed, used effectively and sustainably, ensuring development opportunities for future generations. According to him, environmental regulations in recent years have changed a lot in the direction of administrative procedure reform, shifting from pre-control to enhanced post-control - approaching the advanced management method that the EU is applying. The National Assembly is considering amending a number of articles of 15 laws in the fields of agriculture and environment; this is the first step to handle urgent issues, but in the coming time there will be more in-depth amendments, including the Law on Environment.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that the opinions and recommendations of businesses are both questions and important suggestions for the process of perfecting policies, especially on the circular economy, recycling, extended producer responsibility (EPR), carbon markets and carbon credits. The Ministry is studying to regulate EPR in a more favorable direction, and plans to issue a decree in the near future; at the same time, it is considering learning from good experiences in Europe, including regulations on mandatory recycling rates for some products and packaging.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh presents OCOP gifts to Mr. Torben Minko - Member of the Board of Directors of EuroCham Vietnam, Managing Director, B. Braun Vietnam. Photo: Linh Linh.

He also acknowledged and thanked European businesses for their participation and support, including their practical contributions to natural disaster prevention and control and post-disaster emergency support; and welcomed continued cooperation in the fields of remote sensing, spatial data, renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment, development of low-emission products, and biomass energy from agricultural by-products.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is always ready to exchange and listen to opinions and initiatives from businesses to build a legal corridor that is increasingly approaching modern management methods, in line with international commitments, contributing to helping Vietnam achieve the goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a developed country by 2045,” Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh affirmed.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/doanh-nghiep-chau-au-cam-ket-dong-hanh-voi-viet-nam-trong-phat-trien-ben-vung-d786649.html