InfoSAWIT, BANDUNG – Indonesia and European Union successful got progress in the 17th round in Indonesia–European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EU CEPA) on 26 February - 1 March 2024 in Bandung, West Java. Both parties successfully kept positive moment by accomplishing three chapters technically and encouraged market access discussion in goods, services, and investment. The three chapters were Sustainable Food System Cooperation; Trade Technical Obstacle, and Institutional Clause.
In that round, Indonesia’s delegations were led by Director of Bilateral Negotiation General Directorate of International Trade Negotiation Ministry of Trade, Johni Martha. While European Union delegations were led by Deputy Head of Unit for South and South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand European Commission, Fabien Gehl.
“European Union Delegation Chairman and I noticed that the output of the meeting was good enough, just like the target we internally made. The discussion in some issues was solved. The harder issues got in smaller scale. We came to a conclusion to get more dialogue and would get profitable solution (for both sides) and prioritize pragmaticism in negotiation,” Johni said, as in the official statement InfoSAWIT, Monday (4/3/2024).
There were 12 issues to discuss in the round, such as, goods, service trade, investment, sustainable food system cooperation, goods origin – clause, energy and raw materials, trade technical obstacle, intellectual rights, and institutional clause, and anti-fraud clause.
“I do hope the positive trend in the last two rounds would be always maintained and the targets of President of Indonesia and President of European Commission to solve the negotiation in I-EU CEPA this year, would be realized. We always encourage to escalate communication intensity and meeting for both groups to negotiate,” he said.
In the spare time of the negotiation, both delegation chairmen did meet stakeholders from Indonesia and Europe. Not less than 25 representatives from chambers, associations and companies from both parties attended in the meeting to deliver their supports to accomplish the negotiation.
European Union is one main partner of Indonesia. In 2023, the total trade between both parties reached US$ 30,8 billion. In the period, exports from Indonesia to European Union reached US$ 16,7 billion, while the imports to Indonesia from Europe reached US$ 14,1 billion.
In the same period, the mainstay export products from Indonesia to the continent were crude palm oil and its fractions, copper ore and its concentrate, industrial mono-carboxylate fatty acid, liquid oil residue from vegetable’s extraction. While the main imports to Indonesia from Europe were cars and motor for passengers, medicine, vehicles for transporting products, pulp and paper machine, and pipes from iron. (T2)
