This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Stakeholder contacts and internal communication on the EU-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement (2)'.



Ref. Ares(2017)3272684 - 29/06/2017
Ref. Ares(2019)3157032 - 13/05/2019
To: 
KONIG Helena (TRADE); 4.1(b)
 
 
 
Cc: 
4.1(b)
 
Subject: 
Meeting with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung on EU-Indonesia trade relations, 27 
June 2017 - Flash report 
 
Participants 
  
DG TRADE: 4.1(b)
 
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): 4.1(b)
 (Singapore office), 4.1(b)
 (Brussels 
office) 
  
Key points 
  
•  The meeting took place at the request of FES, in the context of a broader series of meetings with 
DG TRADE staff at the occasion of 4.1(b)
 visit to Brussels.   
•  FES gave an overview of their "CLS+ study", which looks at working conditions in supply chains 
through 4 case studies (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan and Vietnam). They confirmed they do 
not intend to carry out additional case studies but considered that there are common trends in 
South-East Asia, such as a decline in the level of workers' protection and a shrinking "policy 
space" for governments, which in FES' view are due to the competitive pressure exerted by 
global production networks. 
•  FES expressed interest in the ongoing FTA negotiations with Indonesia, and recalled that they 
consider as priorities the inclusion of (1) binding labour provisions and of (2) easy entry points 
for civil society, notably with regard to dispute settlement. In this respect, they referred to the 
"model chapter" to be presented by 4.1(b)
 on the following day and expressed concerns 
with the fact that the civil society mechanisms under the EU-Korea FTA do not seem to be 
functioning, notably pointing at a lack of understanding by Korean civil society on how to use 
them. In this respect, FES considered that there have been some improvements in the text of the 
EU-Vietnam FTA but that challenges remain as to the practical implementation.  
•  DG TRADE gave an update on the state of play of FTA negotiations with Indonesia, including on 
the discussions on the trade and sustainable development chapter – stressing that this is a new 
area for Indonesia, which however is engaging in the talks, and recalling that the EU approach 
does foresee a binding chapter. DG TRADE welcomed that the FES office in Indonesia is in 
contact with the EU Delegation in Jakarta.