Toespraak eurocommissaris De Gucht (handel) over de samenwerkingsverband voor bedrijven uit de EU en ASEAN (en)

Ladies and gentlemen,

Excellencies,

Let me start by congratulating Minister Pangestu as well as all those involved in the excellent organisation of this event. It has been one of the first results of our Ministerial meeting in Da Nang last summer and a model summit achieving its aim of deepening trade and economic cooperation. I look forward to it being repeated in future years.

This has been my third visit to the ASEAN region during little over one year as EU Trade Commissioner. I am drawn to a region in movement by the creativity and dynamism of your business environment. With continuing, even increasing growth rates, you are the envy of every Finance Minister in Europe.

Trade - and I would argue -, the right trade policies have been a key factor in this region's success, but also the shared commitment of both our regions to integration both at home and in the global economy.

Achieving your goal of an ASEAN economic community by 2015 is of keen interest to the EU, businesses and policy-makers alike. But it is here in ASEAN where most of the direct benefits will be felt, in greater choice, lower prices, stronger growth and more jobs in your market of 600 million consumers. It will attract investment and deepen your trade ties with other parts of the world.

So trade matters. It has helped businesses and governments to find the light at the end of the growth and jobs tunnel. This is one reason why dialogues between business and government are so important. Your views allow us to assess how we are doing and how we can do better.

This is why I also welcome the setting up of an EU ASEAN Business Council, providing a voice and point of contact for European business interests in this region.

I take from our discussions that with generally low tariffs both in the EU and here in ASEAN, the real tasks for today's trade negotiators are regulatory barriers. It is these barriers that stand in the way of trade, getting access to services and investment, opening public procurement markets and ensuring that your efforts in building brands and innovating can be properly protected.

It has also been interesting to add further success stories to my growing library of trade at work in the EU-ASEAN relationship. The company from Bandung here in Indonesia whose technology helps to attach the wings on the Airbus 380, or Thailand's role as bio-technology hub in this region, or the Malaysia business that recently won a €500 million contract in the UK for biomass and waste recycling. These are the examples that can bring the dry print of a trade agreement to life.

Let me also flag three other messages I take away.

First, ours is now a maturing and long-standing relationship. Cooperation between ASEAN and, at that time, the European Community - now the European Union - dates back more than 30 years. It is supported by development spending of two billion euros between 2007 and 2013.

We have heard how our trade relationship has grown over that period and your strong belief in the potential, offered by a combined market of 1 billion people and 200 million euros in trade, to grow even further.

We are committed to deepening that relationship through the gradual network of bilateral trade agreements we are seeking together. These agreements are designed in a way which will offer both an individual and collective economic boost, and allow businesses located here to draw on the benefits of ASEAN's own integration.

Second, I understand the need for a degree of differentiation. There can be no one size fits all for these agreements. While the more you open the bigger the benefits, I fully accept that each agreement is different and must be tailored to the needs, sensitivities and level of development of specific partners. But I stress that our ultimate goal of a regional EU-ASEAN trade agreement remains valid.

Third, let me also say a word about how our relationship fits into the bigger picture. There is wide agreement here on the importance and value of the global multilateral trading system; global trade rules have helped to limit the attempts to protect markets during the current crisis and should be used to roll back protectionism where it has occurred.

The WTO has proven its worth. The EU remains committed to finding a way through the Doha impasse, but to do so will demand even greater political commitment and that requires business to speak up for the Doha Round if we are to succeed. Doha remains a deal worth doing, with important benefits for developing and emerging economies and we are really not so far apart that it could not be done.

Chair, Ladies and Gentleman,

I have heard and learnt a great deal from these discussions. I will take these ideas and your recommendations back with me to Brussels.

I can only thank you once again for this opportunity to join this summit and congratulate all involved for making it such a success.