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

European trade lobby urges restart of FTA talks

31-Mar-2015 The Nation

The European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) is calling for an early resumption of talks on a Thailand-European Union free-trade agreement, arguing that there is no need to wait for the return of democracy.

EU pursues FTA talks with Philippines

30-Mar-2015 Philippine Star

The European Union is pursuing discussions with the Philippines within the year for a possible free trade agreement as the country’s ongoing economic reform process shows readiness to commit to an ambitious bilateral deal.

EU and Vietnam hold twelfth round of FTA talks

27-Mar-2015 EIN News

The talks focused on the outstanding areas of the proposed FTA such as goods (tariffs, rules of origin, non tariff barriers, export duties), services & investment, government procurement, state owned enterprises, IPR and geographical indications, and regulatory issues.

EU Vietnam FTA: rice carve-outs and ‘double transformation’ rule of origin in sight

27-Feb-2015 Borderlex

So far, seven chapters out of fifteen of the EU-Vietnam FTA have been concluded

ISDS in EU-Singapore deal too favourable to corporations, should be modified according to lead MEP David Martin

26-Feb-2015 ViEUws

David Martin MEP (S&D, UK), the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the EU-Singapore trade deal, criticises the infamous ISDS (investor-to-state dispute settlement) part of the agreement.

S2B statement on EU-Myanmar investment treaty

9-Feb-2015 S2B Network

The Seattle to Brussels Network call upon the European Commission not to push through with the negotiations for an investment treaty with Myanmar as it will not help but hurt democratic transition.

EU urged to move fast to ratify FTA with S'pore

5-Feb-2015 The Straits Times

Singapore and Germany urged European Union members to ratify the EU-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA) expeditiously, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying it was in Europe's interest to do so quickly.