On Monday 17 December, the European Union requested formal consultations with Seoul on the implementation of Korean commitments on sustainable development as set out in the EU-South Korea free trade agreement. This is the first time that the European Commission has activated this consultation mechanism, provided for in its chapters on sustainable development in its so-called "new generation" agreements.
This trade agreement has been in force for eight years, but no significant progress has been made by Seoul regarding the fundamental principles of freedom of association and the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) collective bargaining rights. The EU also expects South Korea to ratify four fundamental ILO conventions on freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and forced labour.
Under pressure to prove the effectiveness of the chapters on sustainable development in its trade agreements, the Commission laid out a 15-point plan last February (see EUROPE 11971).
Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, said in a statement: "As part of the agreement both sides have made commitments on worker’s rights, but so far the actions taken by the Korean government to implement this dimension have not been sufficient. We have a duty to uphold the spirit and the letter of our agreements.” In the same press release, however, the Commission stresses that these consultations must make it possible to "find an amicable and mutually beneficial solution" for both parties.
The European Parliament has regularly called on Korean authorities to carry out these reforms (see EUROPE 12160, 11943, 11791).
For S&D MEP Bernd Lange (Germany), Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Trade, these consultations come too late: "The European Commission has for years done too little to address grievances in Korea. While I support this important step I also have to say that it is long overdue," he told EUROPE. "It is now up to the Commission to prove that their dialogue-based approach is the right way forward and can yield results.”
Link to the consultation request: https://bit.ly/2GpPtfW (Hermine Donceel)