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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


Thailand: June start eyed for FTA talks with EU
The Thai government is accelerating the process of establishing preliminary guidelines and conducting public hearings in order to launch free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with the European Union by June, a move seen as necessary to ensure the Kingdom remains competitive with potential rivals who are also looking to ink a pact with the bloc.
Philippines, EU begin free-trade talks
The Philippines has begun talks with the European Union for a bilateral trade agreement, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
Thailand: Free trade talks with EU likely this year
Thailand is expected to start a first round of negotiations toward a bilateral free-trade agreement with the European Union by the middle of the year, to remain competitive with rivals Vietnam and Singapore.
S’pore, EU launch FTA talks
Singapore and the European Union will launch negotiations for a free trade agreement with the first round of talks scheduled to take place in Singapore from March 8 to 12
EU, Vietnam to start free-trade talks
The European Union and Vietnam announced the start of free-trade negotiations Tuesday, signaling a major effort to move ahead in the race to secure new markets despite the failure of the Doha Round of global trade talks.
Issues reduced but RP-EU talks still unfinished
Negotiators of the Partnership Cooperation Agreement, who met for a fourth time last week, had nothing to report about the controversial matter of human rights
Viet Nam, EU progress in co-operation negotiations
Viet Nam and the European Union have fully agreed on two-thirds of the articles after the sixth round of negotiations on the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement, according to head of the European Commission Delegation in Viet Nam Sean Doyle.
EU keen on FTA negotiations with Vietnam
"We want it to start as soon as possible, even next month or in two months’ time if possible," Sean Doyle, ambassador and head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Vietnam, said
EU pushes bilateral trade pact
"The Philippines has not so far signaled its readiness to engage in this way," EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald said, referring to plans to forge bilateral trade pacts after attempts to broker a broader agreement with the 10-member ASEAN hit a roadblock early last year.
Mexico seeks Brazil free-trade accord by 2012, official says
Mexico’s government aims to sign a free-trade agreement with Brazil by the end of President Felipe Calderon’s administration in 2012, said Rogelio Granguillhome, head of economic relations at Mexico’s Foreign Ministry.