Azië en de Stille Oceaan

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In Azië onderhoudt het EESC betrekkingen met organisaties uit het maatschappelijk middenveld in China, Japan, Singapore, Zuid-Korea en Vietnam.

Een rondetafel van het maatschappelijk middenveld met China werd opgericht in 2007, na de negende EU-China-top, en komt eenmaal per jaar bijeen.

In februari 2009 is een follow-upcomité met Japan opgericht om toezicht te houden op de maatschappelijke dimensie van de betrekkingen tussen de EU en Japan en om de samenwerking tussen het EESC en het bedrijfsleven, werknemers-, milieu- en consumentenorganisaties en andere belangrijke maatschappelijke organisaties in Japan te bevorderen. In het kader van de economische partnerschapsovereenkomst tussen de EU en Japan is een interne adviesgroep EU-Japan opgericht, die het maatschappelijk middenveld in het kader van het hoofdstuk over handel en duurzame ontwikkeling een toezichthoudende en adviserende rol toebedeelt.

De EU heeft vrijhandelsovereenkomsten gesloten met de volgende Aziatische landen: Zuid-Korea (2011), Japan (2019), Singapore (2019) en Vietnam (2020). Deze overeenkomsten worden gekenmerkt door de opname van hoofdstukken over handel en duurzame ontwikkeling, en geven het EESC en andere maatschappelijke organisaties – samen met de organisaties van het maatschappelijk middenveld in de partnerlanden – een formele rol bij het toezicht op de tenuitvoerlegging ervan en bij het adviseren van de betrokken politieke autoriteiten op het gebied van maatschappelijke, milieu- en arbeidsnormen en andere zaken die van direct belang zijn voor het maatschappelijk middenveld. Een en ander gebeurt via de interne adviesgroepen (DAG’s). Elk jaar worden twee tot drie vergaderingen van de interne adviesgroepen van de EU gehouden, en eenmaal per jaar vindt een gezamenlijke vergadering plaats.

Het EESC legt daarnaast contacten met het maatschappelijk middenveld in andere Aziatische landen en bij relevante internationale evenementen, op ad-hocbasis.

  • Meet of the EU-Japan and South East Asia Follow-up Committee

    The EESC EU-Japan & South-East Asia Follow-up Committee meets on 12 February 2026 to discuss various aspects of EU-Japan & South-East Asia relations. Main topics on the programme:

    • Initial discussion on the priorities for the Follow-up Committee during the new term
    • EU relations with the Southeast Asian countries and follow-up on the EESC's information report on the situation of the civil society organisations in the ASEAN countries
    • EU-Japan relations 
  • -
    Event type
    Round table

    The 20th meeting of the EU-China Round Table took place in Madrid, Spain on 9 and 10 June 2025.

    The EU-China Civil Society Round Table was established in 2007 following a decision taken by the 9th EU-China Summit in Helsinki. The delegations from the EESC and its Chinese counterpart, the China Economic and Social Council, meet regularly to discuss topics relating to economic and social issues relevant to both parties.

    By elaborating reports, discussing them and exchanging ideas, the representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee and the China Economic and Social Council contribute to the development of the overall EU-China relationship, from a civil society perspective.

  • The 19th meeting of the EU-China Round Table took place in Beijing, China on 17 December 2024.

    At this occasion the delegations of the EESC and its Chinese counterpart, the CESC, discussed the following topics:

    • Strengthening EU-China cooperation in the field of circular economy
    • Promoting sustainable development in the EU-China economic relations 
  • Published in
    15 pages

    This document seeks to provide input to the Global Coalition for Social Justice. It highlights key messages from EESC opinions on the six priority areas identified by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for immediate action.

  • Meeting of the EU-Japan and South East Asia Follow-up Committee

    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 South=East Asia
    • Global overview and civil society in South-East Asia
  • Published in
    8 pages

    The External Relations Section (REX) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is responsible for dialogue between European civil society organisations and their homologues from the countries with which the European Union has formal relations (e.g. under the form of a Free Trade Agreement). Through this dialogue, made possible by a series of bilateral bodies, and through specialized opinions and information reports, the Committee is able to concretely contribute to EU foreign policy.

  • 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.

  • Event type
    Conference

    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.

    On 28 May, nevertheless, after this EU DAG meeting and following the postponement of the joint EU-Vietnam meetings due to the fact that the Vietnam DAG had not been established yet, the members of the EU DAG issued a statement on the late cancellation of the first Trade and Sustainable Development Committee and the first Joint forum between European and Vietnamese civil society, which had been planned to take place in the first week of June 2021.

    Read the full statement here: https://europa.eu/!wm77KY

  • Speaker
    Ion Nae-Musetoiu
    Organisation
    consultant on EU Waste

    Circular Economy and the Recycling of Batteries

    - the legislative framework -

    • Circular Economy and the Recycling of Batteries