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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


Asean wary of EU approach to expanding free trade talks
The European Union is considering ’’deeper’’ free trade area (FTA) discussions with Asean members that would cover political issues sensitive for some Asean governments: labour rights, environment legislation, competition policy, transparency in government procurement, and liberalisation in services.
Human rights, rule of law sticky issues in RP-EU pact
THE Philippines is seeking to settle sticky issues in the proposed partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) with the European Union which include government’s commitments to uphold human rights and rule of law in the country before the Asia Europe Meeting (Asem) Summit in Beijing in October this year.
Two years target for FTA conclusion with EU very ambitious, says Asean Sec-Gen
Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan today shot down the possibility of a speedy conclusion of the European Union-Asean Free Trade Agreement
EU-Asean minus FTA expected in three years’ time
An EU-Asean Minus Free Trade Agreement — likely to exclude Laos, Burma and Cambodia — is expected to be established within the next two to three years’ time, a European Commission official in Indonesia said.
The structure and trends of economic relationship between Thailand and the EU
A review of the potential direction and impacts of an EU-ASEAN FTA, particularly on Thailand, commissioned by FTA Watch
RP fishers buck EU-ASEAN free trade deal
A group of small-scale fishers in the Philippines is against a free trade deal between the European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Europe drive vs workers assailed
A regional coalition of civil-society organizations in Southeast Asia has criticized the European Parliament decision mandating the forcible deportation of undocumented workers in Europe. The decision negates the goals of the proposed EU free-trade deal with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), seeking to open trade and investments including the seamless entry of Asean workers to Europe.
Obstacles to EU-Asean FTA
A free-trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union is unlikely to take shape soon because of the big discrepancies between Asean members and political problems in Burma, said Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht.
Don’t be rushed into trade deal with EU, think-tank warns
Independent think-tank IBON Foundation said that the Philippine government should not rush into negotiations for a partnership cooperation agreement with the European Union.
Flexible approach to drive EU-Asean FTA negotiations
A flexible approach within the regional framework of the European Union (EU)-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) will help drive the negotiations forward, according to EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.