Discussion on Strengthening Cooperation on International Community Values and Norms Regarding Climate Change, Environment, and Development
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Korea-EU Joint Committee was held on the 21st (local time) in Brussels, Belgium, with Yoon Kang-hyun, Director General for Economic Diplomacy Coordination at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Gunnar Wiegand, Director for Asia-Pacific at the EU External Action Service, serving as chief representatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 22nd.
The 16th Joint Committee was attended by about 50 representatives from both sides, including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Communications Commission, Personal Information Protection Commission, the Embassy of Korea to the EU, as well as the EU External Action Service and the Directorate-General for Trade of the European Commission.
In this Joint Committee, both sides evaluated that Korea and the EU, sharing universal values, are deepening their strategic partnership across comprehensive fields based on the three major agreements: the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement, the Framework Agreement, and the Agreement on Participation in Crisis Management Activities.
In particular, since the launch of the new EU leadership, on December 1 last year, President Moon Jae-in and the new EU Commission President von der Leyen held a telephone conversation and agreed to closely cooperate to develop the strategic partnership. Accordingly, under the new EU leadership, both sides agreed to actively continue high-level personnel exchanges and strategic communication.
Over the past year, they assessed that economic and trade relations have expanded and deepened thanks to the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement, reviewed the current status and achievements of exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as industrial cooperation including SMEs and clusters, information and communication technology [ICT], science and technology, transportation, and culture, and exchanged views on ways to strengthen cooperation between Korea’s New Southern Policy and New Northern Policy and the EU’s connectivity strategy, which are regional strategies of both sides.
Additionally, they shared recent developments regarding the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU (Brexit) and the preparation status of both sides for Brexit scheduled on the 31st. The Korean side requested continuous information sharing and prior consultations from the EU side to prevent any legal gaps in international agreements involving the EU and the UK.
Furthermore, the Korean side emphasized that the ongoing discussions on the ‘EU adequacy decision’ should be accelerated, as the recent amendment to the Personal Information Protection Act has passed the National Assembly. Regarding the implementation of Chapter 13 on Trade and Sustainable Development of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement, they explained the trends in ratification of the core conventions of the International Labour Organization [ILO].
Meanwhile, both sides shared policies related to climate change response, which has become a pressing issue in the international community, and agreed on the necessity of cooperation on international platforms such as the G20 and the World Trade Organization (WTO). They also agreed to continue close cooperation on multilateral issues including trade, environment, development, and human rights. They explained that the 2nd P4G Summit on Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 is scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 29-30 this year, emphasizing their will and efforts to contribute to international solidarity for climate change response.
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