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  1. Negotiations

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 urged to reject EU piracy pact
23-Feb-2009 Bangkok Post
A consumers’ group on Saturday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to turn down the EU-Asean free trade policy on intellectual property rights protection which, if ratified, could affect the Asean agriculture, biodiversity and public health access.
EU is in no rush to wrap up partnership agreement with RP
15-Feb-2009
The European Union (EU) will not rush negotiations for a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Philippines as it is bent on reaching a “quality” agreement.
EU hints at FTA with Vietnam
15-Feb-2009 VietnamNet
The European Union is looking to sign a separate free trade agreement with Vietnam after experiencing a slow progress in negotiating a region-to-region free trade deal with ASEAN.
Government balks at European Union rights standard
13-Feb-2009
Political concerns, particularly the country’s standard on human rights which is different from the European Union’s, will be a contentious issue in the draft of the proposed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the EU, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
Trade network urge RP and EU negotiators to disclose contents of Cooperation Agreement
11-Feb-2009
Reacting to news reports about the launch of the formal negotiations for a comprehensive partnership and cooperation agreement between EU and the Philippines, the EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign Network urged both the EU and Philippine governments to disclose to the public the contents of the cooperation agreement.
RP-EU pact contains migration provisions
10-Feb-2009 Inquirer
The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the European Union will contain provisions on migration and corruption.
RP, EU start negotiations on cooperation framework
10-Feb-2009 BusinessWorld
The Philippines and the European Union yesterday started talks in Manila for a general framework on bilateral cooperation that is requisite for a free trade agreement. The talks, which could take as long as two years to complete, will dwell on a wide variety of issues — from peace, security and human rights, to protection of intellectual property and workers rights.
RP-EU partnership-agreement talks start
8-Feb-2009 Business Mirror
The Philippines and the European Union (EU) will formally start on Monday the negotiations for the Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that qualifies Manila to the comprehensive free-trade agreement between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that seeks to facilitate trade and investments between two influential regional blocs.
Philippine negotiator criticized for supporting EU proposal for bilateral trade negotiations
7-Feb-2009
The EU-ASEAN Campaign network, with members in Europe and Southeast Asia, assailed the statements made recently by Philippine Assistant Secretary Ramon Cabigting of the Department of Trade and Industry expressing support to the EU proposal to proceed with bilateral talks with the EU and the country’s willingness to liberalize its services sector.
EU, Philippines to resume talks on partnership deal
2-Feb-2009 BW
European Commission delegates will be arriving in Manila next week to continue negotiations for an agreement that will govern the two economies’ political and economic relations, officials said.