Barring any unexpected developments, nothing should now stand in the way of approval of the two trade agreements with Vietnam - a Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) (see EUROPE 12364/18).
Next week, MEPs on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) will vote on the two agreements, almost six years after the end of negotiations. Signing of the agreement was delayed by legal proceedings relating to the EU-Singapore agreement. The European Court of Justice opinion of May 2017 resulted in the original agreement being split in two. The EVFTA consequently falls within the exclusive competence of the EU, while the IPA will also have to be ratified by member states.
Mr Hogan’s letter to MEPs
In response to a letter from MEPs from four political groups about Hanoi's implementation of the sustainable development chapter of the EVFTA, which EUROPE has seen, EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan wanted to highlight the “significant steps” taken by the Vietnamese government in recent years and its commitment to reforms, mainly related to employment. Hogan added in his letter that, with regard to human rights, “although divergences on both sides certainly persist”, and pledged that “we will continue to use all appropriate means to put pressure on Vietnamese authorities to achieve improvements”.
The Vietnamese side has also written two letters to the European Parliament, including elements of a roadmap for implementing their commitments (see EUROPE 12399/3).
A majority in favour
According to several parliamentary sources, the committee votes on Tuesday 21 January will see the political groups split along familiar lines. The ECR, EPP and Renew Europe groups are in favour of the agreements, while the S&D and ID groups are split; the Greens-EFA and the GUE-NGL groups oppose the treaties (see EUROPE 12394/21; for the distribution of seats, see 12296/7).
The plenary vote, which is expected in February, could prove more complicated, given the positions of the Committees on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Human Rights (DROI), both of which are demanding further signs of good faith from Hanoi.
To read the letter, go to: http://bit.ly/2TxvCR9 (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)