Talks were launched in 2013 but halted a year later due to the 2014 coup over the EU-Thailand free trade agreement. On Wednesday 15 March, the two partners decided to start afresh and relaunch negotiations on the agreement.
The Council of the EU did indeed give the green light to the Commission in conclusions in 2017 and again in 2019 to “explore the possibility of resuming discussions” with Thailand. A Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was even signed in December 2022 (see EUROPE 13014/19).
The future trade agreement must have sustainability at its core, according to the European Commission. It wants the trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapters of the agreement to be in line with their June 2022 review (see EUROPE 12977/13). This means that non-compliance with the Paris Agreement and the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) by either party may result in sanctions.
Moreover, the free trade agreement will have to cover: - market access for goods and services, investment and public procurement; - sanitary and phytosanitary procedures; - the protection of intellectual property; - the removal of barriers to digital trade; - energy and commodities trade.
The Commission intends to start with a first round of negotiations in the coming months, and should also commission an impact assessment of the future agreement. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)