22/01/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 22 January, Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs broadly approved (50 votes in favour, 3 against and 4 abstentions) the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the EU and Singapore. This agreement was signed on 19 October 2018 (see EUROPE 12121) and the Council called on the European Parliament on 8 January to ratify it (see EUROPE 12167). The text is expected to be put to a plenary vote in February. Once approved by Parliament, the agreement will have to be ratified by the parliaments of all Member States before formally entering into force. This agreement should provide a legal framework for bilateral relations and stimulate political and economic cooperation in many areas. It is in addition to the free trade agreement and the investment protection package, which will be voted on in Parliament's Committee on International Trade on 24 January. (CG)