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)'.




Pages 8-9 have been entirely redacted  according to Article 4.1(a) of Regulation 1049/2001
Ref. Ares(2020)3403390 - 29/06/2020

 BRIEFING 
Subject: EU-Indonesia bilateral trade and investment relations
Meeting : ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting
Date: 10 March 2017
Origin: DG TRADE 
Place:
You may also wish to recall the importance to show some openings to stakeholders and therefore 
tackle main restrictive measures and refrain from issuing new ones, since they are not leading to 
the direction where we wish the FTA to go – and contribute to an uncertain international trading 
system. The recent restrictive measures on tyres are not a positive sign.  
[Due to Indonesia's confirmation of its contentious policy on the discontinuations of BITS you 
may limit your intervention to simply express regret over this self-defeating policy.]
 
The recurrent issue of palm oil might be raised again: a defensive is drafted below. 
SPEAKING POINTS/ KEY MESSAGES 
• Very satisfied about the second round of negotiations in Bali end
January. Hope that the commitment can continue – and that our joint
effort also continues to enjoy President Widodo's full support.
• Share the ambition of Indonesia to conclude CEPA negotiations
within the next two years, if conditions are there.
• Accept Indonesia's proposal to hold a third round only in September,
but key to make progress in inter-sessional work beforehand to
maintain mutual ambition.
• This involves intense bilateral engagement before the next round,
with a view to being able to exchange the remaining negotiating texts
before the next round. As to an exchange of tariff offers, my services
are still examining the parameters and some intermediate data
exchanges still need to take place; a first offer before the round may
come too soon.
2/9







 BRIEFING 
Subject: EU-Indonesia bilateral trade and investment relations
Meeting : ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting
Date: 10 March 2017
Origin: DG TRADE 
Place:
In the margins of the round, on 28 January 2017, the 8th Working Group on Trade and 
Investment took place
. Its long agenda showed a sobering image of the many barriers 
operators face
 on the ground, with two recent new measures (on tyres and on dairy) being WTO 
incompatible and clearly going against the spirit of the FTA.  
These measures are applied in addition to a long standing list of barriers ranging from local 
content requirements (in telecom, retail, energy sectors), to fiscal discrimination and quantitative 
restrictions in many areas, in particular in the food sector.  
At the same time, Indonesia ventilated frustration on the many EU pieces of legislation, 
including new pending food safety measures that seem to affect palm oil, their most important 
export product. 
Palm oil  
Indonesia perceives that palm oil is discriminated on the EU market. Statistics contradict this 
perception, but there are also various EU initiatives which involve palm oil and explain 
Indonesia's perception (including anti-dumping duties on biodiesel derived from palm oil). 
The EU is willing to work with Indonesia on sustainable palm oil and to share experiences as 
well as to support responsible supply chains, which Indonesia already does.  
The FTA between the EU and Indonesia should provide a comprehensive framework, in 
particular through a Trade and Sustainable Development chapter. 
4(1)(a)
Contact 
person: 
4(1)(b)
DG TRADE C2 
 4(1)(b)
16 February 
VISA:  
6/9


Art 4.1(a)