The European Union (EU) and Singapore are currently negotiating a new EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement (EUSDTA). The EUSDTA builds on several existing trade arrangements between the EU and Singapore, including a bilateral free trade agreement, the investment protection agreement, which is pending ratification, and a negotiated set of digital trade principles.
Negotiations for the EUSDTA have been taking place in the context of a growing web of digital commitments, for both Singapore and the EU. Hence, this study provides an overview of the context of EUSDTA negotiations, including a careful assessment of the bilateral EU-Singapore digital trade principles, Singapore’s specific commitments in agreements that cover digital trade, and the broader context of digital trade agreements.
As EUSDTA negotiations are ongoing at the time of drafting of this report, this document does not attempt to include confidential information from the EUSDTA rounds. The report instead surveys the original negotiating landscape, notes overlaps and gaps between existing and planned elements of digital trade arrangements, and endeavours to provide insights into consequences of likely outcomes for government, business, and civil society.
Source: Gopa Worldwide Consultants