In 2009 the EU decided to pursue bilateral trade agreements with the individual ASEAN member states. Negotiations have already been concluded and FTAs entered into force with two of these countries, Singapore and Vietnam, in November 2019 and August 2020, respectively. Negotiations continue with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, while talks are currently on hold with Malaysia. In the longer term, these bilateral FTAs would allow the establishment of a region – to – region FTA, which remains the EU’s ultimate ambition.
We want to welcome you on behalf of ADCN to join us for an update on the current generation of EU FTAs; the common underlying themes and inclusions that can be expected across all FTAs, elements of the Singapore and Vietnam FTAs that we can expect the EU to push for with the other ASEAN countries, and what new elements may be added. Alongside the EU-ASEAN Business Council and Vriens & Partners, we will discuss cross-cutting topics on the rules of trade that are expected for the FTAs in ASEAN and the implications of EU FTA negotiations within the ASEAN regions with focus on Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia.