Considerations on COM(2023)230 - Authorisation of the opening of negotiations for digital trade disciplines with Korea and with Singapore

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dossier COM(2023)230 - Authorisation of the opening of negotiations for digital trade disciplines with Korea and with Singapore.
document COM(2023)230 EN
date April 14, 2023
 
(1) The European Union and the Republic of Korea, and the European Union and Singapore, respectively, have a deep and dynamic economic relationship. The Republic of Korea and Singapore are close strategic partners of the European Union in the Indo-Pacific region and significant trading partners for the European Union in Asia. The European Union has had a Free Trade Agreement with the Republic of Korea since 2011 and a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore since 2019. These Free Trade Agreements provide for substantial commitments for trade in goods and services between the parties, but they do not include comprehensive rules on digital trade.

(2) In line with the September 2021 European Union strategy for the Indo-Pacific, the European Union has sought deeper cooperation with the Republic of Korea and with Singapore on digital trade. The European Union and the Republic of Korea entered into a Digital Partnership on 28 November 2022 and in that context agreed non-binding Digital Trade Principles on 30 November 2022. The European Union and Singapore entered into a Digital Partnership on 1 February 2023, and agreed non-binding Digital Trade Principles on 31 January 2023.

(3) The Digital Trade Principles agreed with the Republic of Korea and with Singapore demonstrate a high level of convergence with the European Union’s approach to digital trade.

(4) The European Union has agreed digital trade rules in several bilateral free trade agreement negotiations with third countries. The European Union is also participating in a number of negotiations as part of which digital trade rules are being developed, the ongoing negotiations on electronic commerce within the WTO. Therefore, it is appropriate to authorise the Commission to open negotiations on binding digital trade discipines that are coherent with these agreements and pursue the same objectivs that the European Union intends to achieve in the ongoing negotiations.