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EU-ASEAN

The European Union was planning on a bilateral trade agreement with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) for many years. On 4 May 2007, the two sides agreed to start negotiations.

The EU-ASEAN FTA is supposed to be a comprehensive agreement. While ASEAN states are hoping to gain additional market access in the EU, the agreement is expected to have a much bigger impact in strengthening business opportunities for European TNCs in the region.

The talks have moved slowly and it’s not clear if the final deal will take the form of separate agreements between the EU and individual ASEAN members, something the EU seems to prefer. This would allow European governments to avoid taking on any commitments that support the regime in Burma but also to deal with the economic heterogeneity among ASEAN members.

EU procedures require that all ASEAN countries sign a Partnership Cooperation Agreement, containing a commitment to human rights, as a prerequisite to an FTA. Indonesia has already concluded its PCA with the EU, Singapore and Thailand are in advanced stages of negotiations, and Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei are soon to begin. The Philippine government stated early on that it expects problems in negotiating a PCA, as the agreement apparently requires that the signatory state join the International Criminal Court.

Click here for the European Commission’s page on the EU-Indonesia FTA

last update: May 2012
photo: People’s Health Movement


EU expects solid response from ASEAN on FTA offers
"With the economic slowdown creeping in, there is an urgency for concluding the EU-ASEAN FTA talks," the EU has said
EU won’t renew special tariff rate for RP canned tuna
The European Union (EU) will not renew a special tariff scheme for canned tuna from the Philippines and two other Southeast Asian countries, offering, instead, increased market access for the product in its 27 member-countries via a free trade agreement, the top EU representative in the Philippines said in a news conference here Wednesday.
EU pushes for speedier FTA with Asean
The European Union has called on members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations to speed up efforts in negotiating for the free trade agreement between the two blocks.
EU seeks FTA with Vietnam
Philippe Meyer, Head of the European Union’s Free Trade Agreement negotiation mission, told Vietnam’s press on October 14 that as the negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and ASEAN have been going slowly, the EU is considering moving ahead by kicking off separate negotiations with some ASEAN’s countries that are ready to open their markets, including Vietnam.
Talks on RP-EU cooperation deal to start next year
The Philippines and the European Union have agreed to start formal talks in February for a political cooperation agreement (PCA) that will govern political and economic relations and lead to an EU-ASEAN free trade deal. Human rights, intellectual property rights and climate change will be among the areas covered by the agreement.
EU-Asean meeting to tackle trade barriers
The Philippines has expressed serious concerns on the proposed PCA because it requires commitment to sign the Rome Statute. Manila has not ratified the statute owing to concerns of military and police authorities they may face possible harassment suits from rights groups at the ICC.
EU plans two-track approach for FTA
The European Union (EU) under the French presidency will focus on bilateral approaches in parallel with a bloc-to-bloc discussions with Asean on a free trade agreement, according to the French ambassador to Thailand.
EU to sign Asean amity, cooperation treaty
Despite Thailand’s political uncertainty the European Union remains keen to negotiate a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with the Kingdom as a way to facilitate progress on a wider Asean-EU FTA.
International labor caucus takes critical look at EU-ASEAN FTA
Workers groups from the ASEAN nations met this August 24-27, 2008 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take a stand and plan campaigns against the proposed EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
ASEAN chief says proposed ASEAN-EU free trade pact "challenging"
A proposed free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union is "one of the most challenging" ASEAN is negotiating, the bloc’s chief said on Thursday. The two parties had agreed on a schedule for discussions, but were having problems making headway due to the complexity of the talks.