Coincidentally, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, presented the EU’s new Indo-Pacific strategy on Thursday 16 September, hours after the US, UK, and Australia announced the creation of a defence alliance, torpedoing a contract between France and Australia for nuclear-powered submarines.
“These events make this strategy more important. This only shows the importance of the region and the need for our commitment”, stressed Mr Borrell to the media, recalling that the EU invests twice as much in the region as the United States (€12 trillion compared to €6 trillion).
The joint communication from the European Commission and the High Representative is “built on a will to cooperate, not to confront”, the High Representative insisted. It is based on the EU Council conclusions of April 2021 (see EUROPE 12702/17).
Trade and investment
For the Commission and the High Representative, the announcement of this Indo-Pacific strategy must be followed by the multiplication of economic partnerships in this region. Faced with the rise of China, which is accused of dumping, the EU must ally itself with “like-minded partners”.
This implies first of all following up on ongoing or pending negotiations with several countries in the region. The Commission wants to move forward with trade agreements with Australia, Indonesia, and New Zealand, but also with India, with whom it has agreed to start negotiations in May (see EUROPE 12716/4). East Africa is also a relevant region for the EU to complement its Economic Partnership Agreement.
Secondly, the Commission is interested in resuming the discussions that have been put on hold with Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis held a meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 14 September, where he spoke in favour of working towards a future trade agreement between the EU and ASEAN (see EUROPE 12790/22).
In the meantime, it already wants to conclude Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) with Malaysia and Thailand.
As it did with Japan last May (see EUROPE 12728/13), the Commission wishes to multiply green alliances with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
China
The EU wants to continue discussions with China by “engaging bilaterally to promote solutions to common challenges, cooperating on issues of common interest and encouraging China to play its part in a peaceful and thriving Indo-Pacific region”, the document says. While its Indo-Pacific strategy focuses more on the rest of the region, it does state that “progress in ratifying the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) is in the EU’s and China’s mutual interest”.
Digital partnerships
In the digital field too, the EU wants to secure an important place in this region through the conclusion of digital partnership agreements. These aim to increase cooperation on infrastructure, digital transformation of public services and businesses, and skills development. As a first step, the EU proposes to explore launching negotiations with Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
Connectivity
The EU also intends to promote connectivity in all its dimensions with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. It intends to help them put in place a good regulatory environment and facilitate financing to improve connectivity on the ground between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Green transition
The strategy also calls for a green transition. The EU wants to work with partners in the region to combat, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and to fight biodiversity loss, pollution, and other forms of environmental degradation. This could be done through green alliances and partnerships. The region’s share of global carbon dioxide emissions has risen from 37% to 57% since 2000, and the region will account for more than 70% of the growth in global energy demand by 2030, the paper said.
Oceans
Ocean governance has also been highlighted. The EU intends to strengthen ocean governance in the region, in full compliance with international law, and to continue to assist partners in the region to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and to implement the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements.
Security and defence
In terms of security and defence, the strategy proposes to promote an open and rules-based regional security architecture, including secure maritime lines of communication, capacity building and an increased naval presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Speaking to the media, Mr Borrell stressed the importance the EU attaches to a significant European naval presence in the region. “We will explore ways to ensure increased naval deployment of our Member States in the region, taking into account the lessons learned from the first review of the coordinated maritime presence. We will look at the opportunity to establish maritime zones of interest and engage with our partners”, he explained.
The strategy also proposes to support the capacity of partners in the region to ensure maritime safety.
The strengthening of partners’ capacities to fight cybercrime is also highlighted.
Human security
Finally, the strategy advocates human security: the EU wants to support health systems and pandemic preparedness in the region’s least developed countries, including through increased collaborative research on communicable diseases under the Horizon Europe research programme. It also wants to strengthen its commitment to risk reduction and disaster preparedness.
See the joint communication: https://bit.ly/3nD5bs8 (Original version in French by Léa Marchal and Camille-Cerise Gessant)