The European Commission has published details of its current trade negotiations with Indonesia.
Bilateral trade talks between the EU and the South East Asian country were launched in July 2016, with the aim of concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two.
Issues covered include: customs duties and other barriers to trade; services and investment; access to public procurement markets; competition rules and the protection of intellectual property rights.
When the talks were launched, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said that an agreement would offer great opportunities for businesses and people in both the EU and Indonesia.
With a population of over 250 million people, Indonesia is the largest market in South East Asia. Figures for 2015 show that bilateral trade in goods between the prospective partners had already reached more than €25 billion that year.
The EU is Indonesia’s fourth largest trading partner, while Indonesia is the Union’s fifth largest partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Details of the negotiations just released by the Commission show that the talks have addressed the opening of public procurement markets, the need to reduce unnecessary overlapping regulatory barriers to trade and how to increase trade benefits for small businesses.
They have also considered increased co-operation on the import requirements related to food safety, and to plant and animal health.
In addition to trade issues, the CEPA is also intended to uphold current levels of protection for consumers, workers and the environment, and to promote sustainable development.
Further information about trade between the EU and Indonesia can be found at the European Commission website.
