Tight schedule and sustainability takes back seat
On 8th and 9th May, the EU and ASEAN enter into the final round of negotiations. The agenda published in advance gives an overview what to expect and which issues treated as priorities.
The cooperation of Asean and EU has quite a history. In the partnership between both state associations dates back to 1977 when cooperation was merely formal. Since 2020 both parties entered a Strategic Partnership implementing regularly summits on the leader’s level. Today, ASEAN represents the EU’s third-largest trading partner outside Europe, after China and the US, while the EU ranks third is for ASEAN. Together, the two-partnership account for more than a fifth of global GDP giving the negotiations significant global weight.
Tight schedule and tremendous topics
High commissioners and representatives of both follow the ambitious goal to negotiate a comprehensive trade agreement. According to the agenda, key points of the negotiations are trade and sustainable development, forest protection and agricultural production, agricultural market access, economic security, supply chain dependencies, as well as dispute settlement and enforcement mechanisms. This is quite comprehensive schedule for only one and half days. This schedule can become even tighter regarding Rule 42 of the procedure. According to rule 42 votes should be considered as valid if all beholders of the right to raise a Veto are present. If the high commissioners with a veto will not all participate, the summit will be without a quorum and could paralyses the negotiations.
Sustainability is somewhat of an afterthought
After initial caucuses and informal negotiations, the first plenary session is dedicated to Market Access, Trade Liberalisation and Economic Security and only the Second one to sustainability. From this it can be concluded a quite weaker position sustainability and agriculture during the negotiations. Sustainability will be being negotiated inside a framework already defined by trade priorities. Therefore, will not be a principle shape the agreement and may not receive it arguably deserves today.
