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


The Nation Thailand | 1-Jul-2025
The sixth round of negotiations on the Thailand-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), reached consensus on three important chapters: Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD), Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). The seventh round is planned for late September to early October in Brussels.
Gavroche Thaïlande | 30-Jun-2025
La sixième session des négociations de l’accord de libre-échange entre la Thaïlande et l’Union européenne, tenue à Bangkok du 23 au 27 juin, a permis des avancées significatives.
Bernama | 27-Jun-2025
The first round of negotiations for a new and comprehensive free trade agreement between the European Union and Malaysia will commence in Brussels, Belgium, from June 30 to July 4 this year.
FTA Watch | 24-Jun-2025
Thai civil society organizations expressing serious concerns about the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the European Union (EU), highlight potential negative impacts on agriculture, food security, environment, labor rights, public health, and other social issues.
Philstar Global | 23-Jun-2025
The Philippines and the European Union are set to hold the next round of talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) in October following last week’s negotiations.
The Jakarta Post | 18-Jun-2025
The negotiations for the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EU CEPA) have concluded, but the agreement is not expected to take effect before 2027. Once fully implemented, the trade deal is projected to Indonesia’s exports to the European Union by up to 50% over the first three years.