Ceci est une version HTML d'une pièce jointe de la demande d'accès à l'information 'Stakeholder contacts and internal communication on the EU-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement'.



Ref. Ares(2016)4927170 - 02/09/2016
Ref. Ares(2018)6630700 - 21/12/2018
To: 
KONIG Helena (TRADE);  art 4(1)(b)
Subject: 
FYI/Flash report of the meetings with Indonesian MPs and INTA EP meeting of 
DASE, 31 August 2016 
From:  art 4(1)(b)
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2016 12:31 PM 
To: KONIG Helena (TRADE); art 4(1)(b)
Cc: art 4(1)(b)
Subject: FYI/Flash report of the meetings with Indonesian MPs and INTA EP meeting of DASE, 
31 August 2016 
FYI 
We (
 and
art 4(1)(b)
 myself, accompanied by INTA secretariat and a member of 
EP DG external policies) met the delegation of the  Committee of inter-
parliamentary cooperation of the Indonesian House of representatives in an 
informal bilateral meeting organized by INTA secretariat (11 to 12h) as well as in 
the framework of the EP Delegation for relations with countries of South East 
Asia and ASEAN (DASE) (14 to 15h). 

DETAIL 
1) Informal discussions
• During the informal exchange of views held with the Indonesian
delegation the Commission provided an overview of the EU
trade strategy, overall and with the ASEAN countries, and with
Indonesia, in particular. We recalled the launch of negotiations
for an FTA on 18 July and informed about the introductory round
of negotiations of 20 and 21 September. We described the
EU/Indonesian trade and investment relations as solid, but with
untapped potential ( 30TH EU partner and only 5th in ASEAN) and
stressed the importance of an ambitious FTA as a means to
improve these positions, and reiterated the ambitions spelled
out in the scoping paper, including a strong focus on sustainable
development. The Commission also stressed the importance of
an FTA a as a building block towards the ultimate objective a bi-

regional FTA and as a reflection of the broader importance of 
EU/Indonesia relations (PCA). 
• The Indonesian members of Parliament, headed by art 4(1)(b)
, stressed the importance to negotiate an  FTA which can 
benefit all and wondered how to maintain Indonesian access to 
the EU market
.  
•  art 4(1)(b)  expressed concern about the fact that Indonesia 
accounts for more than 30% of ASEAN GDP but ranks low among 
 EU trade partners, only representing 10% of ASEAN's trade with 
the EU. He also compared intra EU trade (60%) to much lower 
intra ASEAN trade (below 25%) and hinted at the need for 
ASEAN to learn from the EU best practices
. COM replied that 
IDN has indeed recognised the need to become more outwork-
oriented also to be able to better tap into Global Value Chains, 
but many barriers also remain and hold back foreign investors 
and traders; hope the FTA could address these. 
• Other questions pointed to :
o
(art 4(1)(b)
palm oil and technical barriers 
faced in the EU. He also stressed that Indonesia, the 
largest producer, does not directly export to the EU but 
through other countries and this situation does not 
allow to obtain the full picture of exchanges. The 
Commission confirmed that GVCs may blur statistics and 
acknowledged the importance of palm oil in our bilateral 
trade.  
o
EU high Tariffs for shoes, in particular leather shoes. The
EU recalled that tariffs are an issue for negotiations. GSP 
currently grants preferences for some type of shoes. 
o
Ambassador Thamrin intervened to stress that without
CEPA Indonesia's position will be more precarious; he 
suggested forging a system of VPA-FLEGT licensing also 
for crude palm oil
.  
• The Indonesian delegation thanked the Commission for
participating and stressed that the Indonesian MP present at the 
meeting "are not ignorant about human rights and 
environmental issues". 
2) DASE (EEAS attendance:

art 4(1)(b)
Participation from  INTA members was rather low due to parallel INTA
session (15 MPs present mainly from UK, D and HU and representing
Green, PPE, S&D. Main interventions made by the David Martin, Ana
Gomes, Neena Gil, Butikofer)
.
Worth of mention the general presentation by David Martin, who
welcomed forthcoming negotiations ("the EP is an enthusiast supporter
of this FTA") and assured participants of EP involvement with an annual
monitoring group and regular Commission debriefings after the rounds.


He conveyed that from the EP's viewpoint the FTA should focus on 
customs,  trade barriers -special mention of barriers to import of EU 
meat and discrimination
-, services GP, IPR), and a strong (and for S&ED 
also enforceable) TSD chapter. 
Questions and comments from MEPs ranged from trade-related issues 
to South China sea , tax-related issues and environmental (fires) issues. 
Interesting to note : 
• Indonesian
 comment to trade barriers on 
art 4(1)(b)
beef meat, which disregarded the word "discrimination" and 
played it all down to Australia's proximity and its lower prices 
and better quality as compared to beef products from other 
countries

• Ana Gomes' intervention on the recent Indonesian tax amnesty
in order to bring money back from tax havens like SGP and her 
call for  a level playing field in this area under the FTA; 
• Indonesian call for the creation of a regular ASEAN-EU inter-
parliamentary group and by other MEPs for the creation of 
various "friendships groups". 
EEAS (art 4(1)(b) ) referred to the current strategic relation and hinted at the 
EU/Indonesia strategic and security dialogues, intense discussions with President 
Widodo on Islam and democracy and the need for the EU to learn from 
Indonesia. On forest fires, EEAS informed about the civil support mechanism 
which the EU activated at Indonesia's request.   
Next EP-ASEAN meeting to be held in Strasbourg on 14 September, at 16.15. 
Regards, art 4(1)(b)
art 4(1)(b)
European Commission 
DG TRADE 
Unit C2 “South and South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand” 
art 4(1)(b)