On 14 October 2015, the European Commission released a Communication on its new trade strategy “Trade for All: Towards a more responsible trade and investment policy”. The strategy aims to build on the EU’s existing track record, tapping into the full potential of trade with an ambitious and forward-looking programme of negotiations. In this respect, the Asia-Pacific region, which occupies a prominent position in the global trade landscape, is regarded as being crucial to the EU’s economic interests. Encouraged by the benefits brought about by its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea, the EU is seeking to deepen its engagement in the region. Negotiations are also ongoing elsewhere, for example on an EU-Japan FTA and a bilateral investment agreement with China. In parallel, the strategy aims to reinvigorate the multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization (WTO) umbrella.
In this context, the European Policy Centre (EPC) organised this Policy Dialogue with a panel of policymakers, economic experts and business advocates, representing both South Korea and the EU, to consider the implications of the new trade strategy, explore the impact of global developments on the EU’s trade relationships with Asia, and discuss potential avenues for growth in the future.