Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and Thailand

Summary:

Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union (EU) and its Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Thailand, of the other part.

Further information:

The Thai-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) lays out a structured and strategic perspective to the relationship between the EU and Thailand, based on shared values and issues of mutual interest. Respect for democratic principles, and for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as for the principle of the rule of law, underpins the internal and international policies of the Parties and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.

Both sides agree to undertake a comprehensive dialogue and promote further cooperation between them in all sectors of common interest. Their efforts in particular are aimed at:

• nurturing cooperation, on a bilateral and multilateral basis, in all relevant regional and international fora and organisations involved in matters covered by this Agreement;
• establishing cooperation on countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD);
• establishing a dialogue on serious crimes of international concern;
• establishing cooperation on preventing and combatting terrorism and transnational crimes;
• securing the conditions for and promoting the increase and development of trade and investment to their mutual advantage;
• establishing cooperation in all trade- and investment-related areas of mutual interest;
• establishing cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice;
• establishing cooperation in all other sectors of mutual interest, notably macroeconomic policy and financial institutions, development planning, good governance in the area of taxation, combatting corruption, corporate social responsibility, industrial policy and micro, small and medium sized enterprise (MSME), information society, science, technology and innovation, low-carbon, circular and green economy, bioeconomy, climate change, energy, transport, research and development, education and training, culture, tourism, human rights, gender equality, environment and natural resources, agriculture and rural development, health, statistics, knowledge-based society, food safety, phytosanitary and veterinary issues, employment and social affairs;
• enhancing participation of the Parties in sub-regional, regional and trilateral cooperation programmes open to the participation of the other Party;
• enhancing the roles and profiles of the Parties in each other’s regions through various means;
• promoting people-to-people understanding through cooperation between various non-governmental entities.

The PCA is the first-ever bilateral agreement between the EU and Thailand and goes beyond the current legal framework of the 1980 Cooperation Agreement between the EEC and the ASEAN Members. The Council of the European Union authorised the European Commission to open negotiating with Thai authorities on 25 November 2004. The PCA was first initialled in March 2013 but its signature was put on hold in 2014 following the military take-over in Thailand.

Following a set of conclusions adopted by the Council in 2019, the EU considered it appropriate to take steps towards broadening its engagement with Thailand by preparing for the timely signature of the PCA. The negotiations on the Agreement were resumed on 13 July 2021 and were concluded following the seventh round on 11 June 2022. The Agreement was initialled on 2 September 2022, and signed by both sides on 14 December 2022.

• Primary Source

News

France24, 23/06/2014: EU suspends cooperation with Thailand over military coup https://www.france24.com/en/20140623-eu-suspends-cooperation-with-thailand-over-military-coup

Deutsche Welle, 09/05/2022: EU and Thailand cap turbulent decade by boosting ties https://p.dw.com/p/4GQMw

Bangkok Post, 16/12/2022: Kingdom inks pact with EU to boost cooperation https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2461727/kingdom-inks-pact-with-eu-to-boost-cooperation

---

Official

EUR-LEX: OJ L 330, 23/12/2022: Council Decision (EU) 2022/2562 on the signing and provisional application of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and Thailand http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2022/2562/oj

EUR-LEX: COM(2022)425: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and Thailand https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2022:425:FIN

EUR-LEX: COM(2022)426: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing and provisional application of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and Thailand https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2022:426:FIN

EU EEAS: News, 02/09/2022: The European Union and Thailand initial Partnership and Cooperation Agreement https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/european-union-and-thailand-initial-partnership-and-cooperation-agreement_en

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 14/12/2022: Indo-Pacific: The European Union and Thailand sign Partnership and Cooperation Agreement https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/12/14/indo-pacific-the-european-union-and-thailand-sign-partnership-and-cooperation-agreement/

Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs: News, 15/12/2022: Thailand and the European Union officially sign the draft Thailand-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (Thai-EU PCA) https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/pca-dec22-2?page=5d5bd3da15e39c306002aaf9&menu=5d5bd3cb15e39c306002a9b0

---