Debated in Parliament on 4 Aug 2026.
Mr Jackson Lam asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a) whether Singapore is pursuing modular or sector-specific EU-ASEAN cooperation ahead of a full EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA); and (b) if so, how can such arrangements be prioritised.
The European Union (EU) was ASEAN's third largest trading partner and second largest investor as of end-2024. The EU has concluded bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Singapore, Viet Nam and Indonesia, and is currently negotiating FTAs with Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. ASEAN and the EU are also working closely together to strengthen economic ties in areas, such as digital trade, green technologies and green services, and supply chain resilience. Both bilateral FTAs and ongoing sectoral cooperation serve as building blocks towards a region-to-region economic cooperation framework in the longer term.
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