EU-Viet Nam in Free Trade Negotiations

The talks were opened by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and the Vietnamese Minister for Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang thios week.

Both sides seek for a comprehensive agreement covering tariffs, non-tariff barriers as well as commitments on other trade related aspects, notably procurement, regulatory issues, competition, services, and sustainable development.

Viet Nam, a member of the ASEAN community, is the third country after Singapore and Malaysia with which the EU has started bilateral negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement.

These bilateral negotiations are inscribed in the broader context of achieving an agreement with ASEAN as a whole.

In the context of the negotiations with Viet Nam, the EU has launched a public consultation on trade relations with the country. Stakeholders are invited to send their contributions to the public consultation by 17 August 2012.