In the European Parliament, the first review of two draft trade relations with Vietnam - a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) - reveals strong reservations across the political spectrum. This position calls into question Parliament's ability to give its consent to these agreements, as they stand.
In a debate on the two trade agreements with Vietnam on Monday 3 December in the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA), MEPs stressed the importance of this first agreement with an emerging economy, a member of the dynamic Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN), with which the EU aims to build region-to-region links.
The FTA will eliminate 99% of all tariffs, reduce non-tariff barriers, ensure the protection of geographical indications (GIs) and open markets for services and public procurement to European operators (see EUROPE 12050).
However, MEPs come up against the country's negative record on respect for human rights and Hanoi's lack of significant progress in this direction. The country has also failed to ratify certain fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Finally, MEPs recently voted in plenary on 14 November on a resolution on the situation of political prisoners in Vietnam (see EUROPE 12138).
MEPs are probably inclining to a postponement of their consent, in order to put more pressure on Vietnam towards reforms. During the debate, they gave some suggestions as to the way forward.
MEPs could ask Hanoi for a roadmap, with clear indicators, that would include, among other things, the country's commitments to ratify ILO conventions, reform the Labour Code and guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of opinion. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)