EU PUSHES FOR LIBERAL TELECOM TRADE AGENDA IN ASEAN

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The European Union renewed their request for more liberal trade in telecommunications and information technologies with members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a meeting held last June 19, 2006 in Singapore. The ASEAN includes Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei and Burma.
Our companies complain because they come from countries where market access is complete and where any company from abroad can compete, EU Commissioner for Information, Society and Media Viviane Reading told the assembled delegates at the Euro-Southeast Asia Information Communication Technology Meeting. She added that the companies come expecting reciprocity (of market access).

EU delegates at the conference stated that what they wanted in the telecommunications industry were legal frameworks for protecting investments, increased security, and regulation of the Internet as it is used in business. They cited Singapore for having a liberal telecommunications and information technology market, while Thailands and Indonesias markets were considered less accessible.

The EU is looking to expand its markets in Southeast Asia, which has a combined population of 500 million. The ASEAN countries export mainly machinery and agricultural products to Europe, while EU countries are expanding services trade into the region. Trade in services includes and is facilitated by telecommunications and information technology. Discussions on trade facilitation have already been initiated within a framework of the Trans-Regional EU-ASEAN Trade Initiative, which covers technical aspects of agricultural and manufacturing industries. The EUs intention is to expand this into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the regions.

Thierry Rommel, head of the EU Commission delegation to Malaysia, said the EU will possibly ask for not only the reduction of tariffs, but also the removal of non-tariff barriers such as standards and norms. If possible, he said, the EU would also expand the FTA to include investments.

Sources:

Bangkok Post. 2006. EU demands access to ASEAN telecoms as posted on the Bangkok Post website _http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=103846_, retrieved on June 27, 2006.

Supardo, Riyadi. 2005, EU, ASEAN view FTA to boost trade, as posted on Bilaterals.org <http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=2297>posted 17-07-2005 and retrieved on June 27, 2006.