Comité Económico y Social Europeo
En Asia, el CESE mantiene relaciones con organizaciones de la sociedad civil en China, Japón, Singapur, Corea del Sur y Vietnam.
Existe una Mesa Redonda de la Sociedad Civil UE-China, que fue creada en 2007 tras la novena Cumbre UE-China y se reúne una vez a año.
En febrero de 2009 se creó un Comité de Seguimiento con Japón para supervisar la dimensión de la sociedad civil de las relaciones UE-Japón y promover la cooperación entre el CESE y las organizaciones empresariales, de trabajadores, asociaciones medioambientales y de consumidores, entre otras organizaciones importantes de la sociedad civil japonesa. Se creó un Grupo Consultivo Interno UE-Japón en el marco del Acuerdo de Asociación Económica UE-Japón, que asigna un papel de seguimiento y asesoramiento a la sociedad civil en su capítulo sobre comercio y desarrollo sostenible.
La UE ha celebrado acuerdos de libre comercio con los países asiáticos siguientes: Corea del Sur (2011), Japón (2019), Singapur (2019) y Vietnam (2020). Estos acuerdos se caracterizan por la inclusión de un capítulo sobre comercio y desarrollo sostenible, que otorga al CESE entre otras organizaciones de la sociedad civil –junto a las organizaciones de la sociedad civil en los países socios–, una función formal de control de su puesta en práctica y de asesoramiento a las autoridades políticas pertinentes en materia de normas medioambientales, sociales y laborales, así como sobre otras cuestiones de relevancia directa para la sociedad civil, mediante grupos consultivos internos (GCI). Los GCI de la UE se reúnen dos o tres veces al año y celebran anualmente una reunión conjunta.
Además, el CESE colabora con la sociedad civil en otros países asiáticos y participa en actos internacionales importantes, en función de las posibilidades.
The EESC EU-Japan & South-East Asia Follow-up Committee meets on 12 September 2023 to discuss various aspects of EU-Japan & South-East Asia relations. Main topics on the programme:
The EU and the Japan Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs), established under the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapter of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), attended the 3rd EU-Japan Joint Dialogue with Civil Society, which took place in virtual format on 27 January 2022.
A DAG-to-DAG is a joint civil society body between the partner countries of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), bringing together the separate DAGs of each party. This is the 2nd joint meeting of the EU and Singapore DAGs under the EU-Singapore FTA.
This meeting was an excellent opportunity for a timely update by DG Trade on the implementation of the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter under the FTA, as well as for a constructive exchange with the Director of the ILO office in Hanoi on the labour situation in Vietnam and the state of play of the roadmap.
Additionally, Ambassador Vu Anh Quang, from the Vietnamese Mission to the EU, participated in an exchange with the EU Domestic Advisory Group (EU DAG) members to share his views on ongoing topics within the context of the EU Vietnam relations.
The members of the EU DAG, which is composed of representatives of employers' organisations, trade unions and various interest groups, also further discussed its work programme and prepared the upcoming joint meetings with its Vietnamese civil society counterparts.
The EU DAG and the Korea DAG met for the first time since 2018 to hold the 7th EU-Korea Civil Society Forum (CSF).
This was the first meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group (DAG), composed of representatives of employers' organisations, trade unions and various interest groups. At the meeting, the EU DAG received information from the European External Action Service (EEAS) on the EU relations with Vietnam and exchange with representatives of the European Commission's DG TRADE and the European Parliament on the implementation of the Trade and Sustainable Development chapter of the FTA. The EU DAG had also a first discussion on its work programme.
The EESC EU-Japan Follow-up Committee will meet in the morning of 7 January 2021. It will discuss various aspects of EU-Japan relations and set its work programme for the first half of the new mandate.
The EESC EU-Japan Follow-up Committee met the morning of 17 July. Items for discussion on the agenda were: the EU-Japan Relations in the post COVID-19 era and Research and innovation. In addition to this, the Follow-up Committee assessed the current mandate period and reflected on future perspectives.
During the meeting, the members of the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) of the EU - composed of representatives of employers' organisations, trade unions and various interest groups - followed up on the joint meetings with the Japanese counterparts that took place in Tokyo in January this year. They also discussed the work programme of the EU DAG and topics for future cooperation and dialogue. Additionally, the members of the EU DAG exchanged views with representatives of the European Commission on matters related to the implementation of the trade and sustainable development chapter of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
During the meeting, the composition of the presidency was confirmed. The Group discussed its mandate, and proposed topics ahead of the 2019 Civil Society Forum. Moreover, the EU DAG discussed with representatives of the EC matters related to the implementation of the EU-Korea FTA under three pillars of sustainable development.
