Decision (EU) 2018/1599 on the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Singapore

Summary:

Decision (EU) 2018/1599 from the Council of the European Union on the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore.

Further information:

In December 2009, the Council of the European Union authorised the European Commission to start bilateral negotiations on a free trade agreement with Singapore, and approved the negotiating directives. Negotiations were launched in March 2010 and concluded in October 2014. In July 2015, the European Commission requested an Opinion from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on whether the EU had the necessary competence to sign and conclude alone the agreement that had been negotiated with Singapore, or whether the participation of the EU Member States would be necessary, or at least possible, in respect to certain matters.

The Court's Opinion issued in May 2017 confirmed the EU's exclusive competence with regard to all matters covered by the agreement, except for non-direct investment and investor-to-state dispute settlement where the Member States are defendants that the Court considered to be of shared competence of the EU and the Member States. The text on investor-to-state dispute settlement was subsequently replaced by the Investment Court System in a separate Investment Protection Agreement (IPA).

The legislative proposal on the signing of the FTA was adopted by the European Commission on 18 April 2018. The Council adopted the Decision to sign the Agreement on 15 October.

• Primary Source

Official

European Commission: Press Release, 18.04.18: European Commission proposes signature of Singapore agreement http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-3325_en.htm

European Commission: Opening remarks by Vice-President Katainen and Commissioner Malmström on the outcome of negotiations for the trade agreement with Singapore http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-18-3425_en.htm

European CommissionFact Sheet, 18.04.18: Key elements of the EU-Singapore trade agreement http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-18-3327_en.htm

EP: Legislative Train: EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) http://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-balanced-and-progressive-trade-policy-to-harness-globalisation/file-eu-singapore-fta

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ESO Records

Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Singapore: Analysis http://www.europeansources.info/record/free-trade-agreement-between-the-eu-and-the-republic-of-singapore-analysis/

Decision on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Singapore https://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-decision-on-the-conclusion-of-the-free-trade-agreement-between-the-european-union-and-singapore/

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