EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Singapore Trade Minister S. Iswaran pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of digital trade on Tuesday 7 December, following a joint committee meeting under the EU-Singapore trade agreement in effect since November 2019 (see EUROPE 12357/14).
Specifically, they tasked Singapore and EU officials with initiating technical discussions and identifying relevant digital trade elements.
The aim is to strengthen ties and increase bilateral trade and investment, while “ensuring that workers and businesses, especially SMEs, benefit from opportunities in the growing digital economy”, according to the joint statement. The EU wants to ensure connectivity and interoperability of digital markets and regulatory frameworks, to remove barriers, and to facilitate digital trade.
The EU is thus further anchoring itself in the Indo-Pacific region, in line with the objectives set out in the dedicated strategy in September (see EUROPE 12792/1).
In addition, Valdis Dombrovskis and S. Iswaran announced that three new European geographical indications had been registered in Singapore. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)