Source: European Parliament
The Commission takes note of the concerns raised by the Honourable Member about the potential impact of a future Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Thailand on the EU tuna processing industry.
In line with the overall EU approach to trade and investment agreements, also in the negotiations with Thailand the Commission aims at reaching a comprehensive deal that can bring growth opportunities for the EU economy and employment as a whole.
In the negotiating rounds held so far, the EU and Thai negotiating teams have focused on advancing on the consolidation of the texts establishing the normative framework for the future trade relations, and have not yet discussed the treatment for individual products.
Detailed and sector specific market access negotiations will start in the coming months, and will include consultations with relevant stakeholders in line with the usual EU practice for FTA negotiations.
As in all FTA processes, economically sensitive sectors are subject to carefully designed specific modalities for market access which aim at preventing any market disturbances.
Furthermore, as the negotiations enter a more advanced stage, a sustainability impact assessment will be carried out in support of the negotiations in order to provide an in-depth analysis of their potential economic, social, human rights, and environmental impacts.