EUROPEAN
COMMISSIONHIGH REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE UNION FOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND
SECURITY POLICY

Brussels, 16.9.2021
JOIN(2021) 24 final

JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE
COUNCIL
The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-PacificEN

EN

JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND THE COUNCIL
THE EU STRATEGY FOR COOPERATION IN THE INDO-PACIFICINTRODUCTION
The Indo-Pacific – a vast region spanning from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific Island
States – is increasingly strategically significant for Europe. The region’s growing economic,
demographic, and political weight makes it a key player in shaping the international orderand in addressing global challenges. The EU intends to increase its engagement with theregion to build partnerships that reinforce the rules-based international order, address global
challenges, and lay the foundations for a rapid, just and sustainable economic recovery thatcreates long-term prosperity. This engagement will be based on promoting democracy, therule of law, human rights, and universally agreed commitments such as the 2030 Agenda andits Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Building on EU Member States’ renewed commitment to the region in the Council
Conclusions of 19 April 2021, this Joint Communication sets out the EU Strategy for
Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific by:-Outlining the EU’s rationale for strengthening its engagement in the Indo-Pacific;
Presenting the EU’s principles guiding its engagement with the Indo-Pacific;
Setting out the EU’s approach to partnership and cooperation in the region, andDetailing how the EU will pursue this vision in cooperation with partners.

1. THE EU’S RATIONALE: A STRONG BASIS FOR A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL
RELATIONSHIPThe futures of the EU and the Indo-Pacific are inextricably linked given the interdependenceof the economies and the common global challenges. The region includes seven G20
members - Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Republicof South Africa - as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an
increasingly important partner for the EU. The region is home to three-fifths of the world’s
population, produces 60% of global GDP, contributed two-thirds of pre-pandemic global
economic growth and is at the forefront of the digital economy. The EU outermost regions
and overseas countries and territories, constitutionally linked to its Member States1, are an
important part of the EU’s approach to the Indo-Pacific.
The EU and the Indo-Pacific are natural partner regions in terms of trade and investment.
The EU is the top investor, the leading provider of development cooperation, and one of thebiggest trading partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Together, the Indo-Pacific and Europe
account for over 70% of the global trade in goods and services, and over 60% of foreign
direct investment flows. Trade exchanges between the Indo-Pacific and Europe are higher
than between any other geographical regions in the world, with annual trade reaching EUR
1.5 trillion in 2019. The region is the second largest destination of EU exports and is home to1

La Réunion, Mayotte; French Southern and Antarctic Territories, New Caledonia, Wallis-and-Futuna, French Polynesia

1four of the EU’s ten biggest trading partners. The region hosts major waterways that are ofvital importance to EU trade, including the Malacca Straits, the South China Sea, and the Bab
el-Mandeb Strait.
The Indo-Pacific is both an important source of global environmental challenges as well as apotential beneficiary of their remedies. The share of the region in global carbon dioxide
emissions has grown from 37% to 57% since 2000 and the region will account for more than
70% of growth in global energy demand by 2030. Climate change is expected to further
increase pressure on marine biodiversity, natural resources and fish stocks, leading to changes
in ecosystem dynamics. The Indo-Pacific region includes a number of marine biodiversity
hotspots, such as the Coral Triangle which accounts for 76% of the world’s coral species andsustains 120 million people living in the area. The South China Sea alone accounts for around
12% of the global fish catch and hosts more than half of the world’s fishing vessels.
Therefore, the region is vital for mitigating climate change and protecting our planet’s
delicate ecological balance.
In recent years, geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to intensecompetition, including tensions around contested territories and maritime zones. There has
been a significant military build-up, including by China, with the Indo-Pacific’s share of
global military spending increasing from 20% of the world total in 2009 to 28% in 2019. The
display of force and increasing tensions in regional hotspots such as in the South and East
China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait may have a direct impact on European security andprosperity. There is also an increase in hybrid threats, including on cyber security.
Democratic principles and human rights are also under threat from authoritarian regimes
in the region, putting the region’s stability at risk. Similarly, efforts to establish a global levelplaying-field based on transparent trade rules are increasingly undermined by unfair tradepractices and economic coercion. These developments increase tensions in trade, supply andvalue chains. The COVID 19 pandemic has tested the resilience of economies, further
exposed the interdependence of EU and Indo-Pacific partners, and highlighted that both gain
resilience from open, diversified and undistorted access to world markets. Finally, theongoing crisis in Afghanistan also demonstrates the direct impact that events in the region
have on Europe’s security.
In light of these factors, it is essential for the EU to reinforce cooperation with Indo-Pacificpartners, including in bilateral, regional and multilateral contexts, and to promote the rulesbased international order and access to open markets and ensure a stable trading environment.
This will entail a further deepening and diversification of trade and investment ties andcollaboration to help accelerate the green and digital transitions. This engagement should
contribute to strengthening Europe’s strategic reach and security and to securing theresilience of its supply chains.

2.

THE EU’S VISION: PRINCIPLES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH INDOPACIFIC PARTNERS

The EU’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region will be principled and long-term. It willseek to:

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Solidify and defend the rules-based international order, by promoting inclusive andeffective multilateral cooperation based on shared values and principles, including acommitment to respecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Promote a level playing field and an open and fair environment for trade and investment.
Contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to addressing
climate change and environmental degradation on land and in the ocean, and tosupporting sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.
Engage in bilateral and multilateral cooperation with partners to meet the objectives of
the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)
Pursue its long-standing multilateral and regional cooperation with the United Nations
and Bretton Woods Institutions, as well as regional organisations such as ASEAN and theAfrican Union in the Western Indian Ocean.
Support truly inclusive policy-making and cooperation, where the voices of civil society,the private sector, social partners and other key stakeholders count.
Establish mutually supportive trade and economic relations with the region that foster
inclusive economic growth and stability, and promote and facilitate connectivity.
Engage in the region as a partner in our efforts to raise awareness on the impact of global
demographic trends.

The EU will remain a consistent defender of human rights and democracy and continue to
use all tools at its disposal: political and human rights dialogues and consultations, tradepreferences and the mainstreaming of human rights considerations in all EU policies andprogrammes. The EU will continue to use its restrictive measures (sanctions) regime against
individuals, entities and bodies responsible for, involved in, or associated with serious humanrights violations and abuses worldwide. In international fora, the EU will work with likeminded Indo-Pacific partners to push back any initiative that undermines the human rights
enshrined in customary international law and in international human rights instruments.
As a priority, the EU will continue supporting women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of humanrights and gender equality, empowering them for active involvement in civic and politicaldecision-making, and working towards eliminating all forms of violence against them. The
EU will also continue to support steps to combat all forms of discrimination2, the rights of
ethnic and religious minorities, and to advocate the abolition of the death penalty that remains
on the books in several Indo-Pacific countries. The EU will also promote decent work andrespect of international labour standards of the ILO, with a view to eliminate child labour andforced labour in global supply chains.
Finally, the EU will continue to promote compliance with International Humanitarian Law. It
will continue to advocate humanitarian access and to provide life-saving assistance to people
in need. The EU will support durable solutions to large-scale and protracted refugee
situations, like Afghanistan and the Rohingya crisis.
3. PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION

2 Including on grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

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The EU’s relations with the Indo-Pacific region are based on historic, cultural andcommercial ties, and decades of significant cooperation and assistance. In this context the EU
will: Deepen its engagement and reinforce its role as a reliable partner bringing added
value to long-standing relations with all its partners in the region.3
 Reinforce cooperation with multilateral and regional organisations such as ASEAN,
as well as international financial institutions to promote effective rules-based
multilateralism in the Indo-Pacific region.
 Undertake crisis management, conflict prevention and resilience building initiatives.
 Work together with Member States through a Team Europe approach with concrete
initiatives at country and regional levels.
The EU has bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) with many of its
partners in the region, and has finalised negotiations for a new Partnership Agreement with
the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. It intends to conclude new PCAs withThailand and Malaysia and to start PCA negotiations with the Maldives in the near future.
The EU will also aim to deepen its engagement with partners that already have IndoPacific approaches of their own - ASEAN, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, theRepublic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. The EU would also beinterested in engaging with the QUAD4 on issues of common interest such as climate change,technology or vaccines.
The EU will also pursue its multifaceted engagement with China5, engaging bilaterally topromote solutions to common challenges, cooperating on issues of common interest andencouraging China to play its part in a peaceful and thriving Indo-Pacific region. At the sametime, and working with international partners who share similar concerns, the EU willcontinue to protect its essential interests and promote its values while pushing back where
fundamental disagreements exist with China, such as on human rights.
The EU intends to strengthen partnerships with all relevant actors in the Indo-Pacific, taking
into consideration sub-regional dynamics and specificities.
The Indian Ocean: a gateway for Europe into the Indo-Pacific
The Indian Ocean is the principal passage for Europe to and from Indo-Pacific markets.
Stability and freedom of navigation in this area are therefore vital. The EU is committed tosupporting its partners in the Indian Ocean in dealing with the various challenges they facesuch as the intensifying effects of climate change, marine pollution and biodiversity loss orillegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. To do so, the EU can already rely
on a strong network of partnerships6.
3See, inter alia, Council Conclusions on an EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (19 April 2021), Joint
Communication towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa (9 March 2020) Council Conclusions “The Horn of Africa: ageo-strategic priority for the EU (10 May 2020. The EU’s Strategy for Connecting Europe and Asia and the Council
Conclusions on Enhancing the EU’s Security Cooperation in and with Asia.
4 The QUAD is a quadrilateral security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
5 Joint Communication: EU-China; a Strategic Outlook, 12 March 2019,
6
Examples of such partnerships include the African Union (AU), the Indian Ocean Commission, the Indian Ocean Rim
Association, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

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The EU will work towards becoming a Regional Economic Communities partner, help efforts
to strengthen the Indian Ocean Commission, continue to implement its Economic Partnership
Agreements with its African partners in the region, and work towards a new Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the East Africa Community.
The Centrality of ASEAN
The EU and ASEAN have developed a dynamic, multifaceted partnership over morethan 40 years. This strategic partnership covers political, security, economic, environmental,
climate and socio-cultural issues as well as connectivity7.
The EU appreciates ASEAN’s commitment to effective multilateralism and supports theprinciple of ASEAN centrality, its efforts to build a rules-based regional architecture, andthe multilateral anchor that it provides. The EU also supports the ASEAN-led process
towards an effective, substantive and legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China
Sea, which should not prejudice the interests of third parties. EU-ASEAN cooperation also
covers a wide range of security issues, including through the ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF).
Cooperation with partners in the Pacific
The EU has a long term partnership with the Pacific region, which it seeks to reinforce
through the Partnership Agreement with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacificstates that will succeed the Cotonou Agreement. Together with the EU’s Economic
Partnership Agreement with Pacific States, it will provide the basis for stronger political andstrategic engagement based on common values and objectives.
In addition to its ACP partnerships, the EU maintains close relations and political dialogue
with all Pacific Island States and cooperates closely with the Pacific Islands Forum, thePacific Community and other members of the Council of Regional Organisations of the
Pacific.
4. OUR PURSUIT OF THE VISION: SEVEN PRIORITY AREAS
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the EU will focus on creating the conditions for asustainable and inclusive socio-economic recovery and will work actively with its partners in
the following seven areas:
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Sustainable and inclusive prosperity;
Green transition;
Ocean governance;
Digital governance and partnerships;
Connectivity;
Security and defence;
Human security.

7 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/nl/press/press-releases/2020/12/01/eu-asean-joint-ministerial-statement-on-connectivity/54.1 SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE PROSPERITYThe COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resilience of societies, economies and supply chains.
The EU and the Indo-Pacific region need to cooperate to “build back better”. The 13th ASEM
(Asia-Europe) Summit to be held on 25-26 November 2021 will aim to propel the recovery
in a green and sustainable manner. It will be bolstered by multilateral cooperation at the G20level, and supplemented by bilateral macroeconomic dialogues with G20 regional partners.
The EU will also seek to develop exchanges on macroeconomic issues with partners such as
Indonesia and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office.
Resilient and Diversified Value Chains
Resilient value chains are essential for the recovery. The EU will work with its Indo-Pacificpartners to reinforce value chains by strengthening and diversifying trade relations,
implementing existing trade agreements, finalising ongoing trade negotiations anddeveloping cooperation in strategic sectors, including to address strategic dependencies insupply chains. For semiconductors, for example, it will do so with partners such as Japan, theRepublic of Korea and Taiwan. The EU will also cooperate with partners to strengthen rules
to protect international trade against unfair practices, such as industrial subsidies, economic
coercion, forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.
Decent work deficits and violations of fundamental labour rights will need to be addressed tomake supply chains more sustainable and responsible. As a champion of responsible
business conduct, the EU will aim to create a critical mass of countries supporting
environmental, human and labour rights, due diligence and best practices.8 Bilateral andmultilateral efforts will be accompanied by EU initiatives under the European Green Deal toensure responsible business conduct and support the fight against deforestation andbiodiversity loss. The EU will also continue to promote the integration of developing andleast-developed countries into regional and global value chains.
In order to reduce technical barriers to trade, the EU will work with likeminded Indo-Pacificpartners on standard setting and other regulatory priorities, in compliance with WTO
principles. The EU will also initiate regulatory cooperation in areas to support the green anddigital transitions, as for example the EU and India agreed to do in May 2021.
In light of the fundamental role of the transport sector in securing resilient supply chainsand promoting a green socio-economic recovery, a key objective of the EU will be to ensure
the resilience of the Indo-Pacific region’s transport systems against future crises. Cooperation
to maintain and ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation, in accordance withinternational law and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS), will be essential.
Building Blocks of our Trade Relationship

Upcoming EU legislation on this issue will create the need to scale up the EU’s "Responsible Supply Chains in Asia"
project with China, Japan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The EU and the UN are working with India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand to promote the uptake of the UN Guiding Principles on Business andHuman Rights in Asia.
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The EU is committed to further engagement on open, sustainable and rules-based trade withpartners in the Indo-Pacific region, including on building support for the modernization of theWorld Trade Organisation. Particular attention will be paid to implementing and enforcing
the comprehensive trade agreements with Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore andVietnam, and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Pacific States9, as well as
the EU investment protection agreements with Singapore and Vietnam that are expected toenter into force in the coming years.
Progress in ratifying the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), on which
negotiations were concluded with China at the end of 2020, is in the EU’s and China’s
mutual interest.
The EU will aim to conclude trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, continue towork towards an agreement with Indonesia as well as an Economic Partnership Agreementwith the East Africa Community. In May 2021, the EU and India agreed to resume tradenegotiations and to launch negotiations for a separate investment protection agreement andfor an agreement on geographical indications. Once concluded, these agreements willconsiderably enhance the EU-India trade and investment relationship. The EU will also
pursue its deep trade and investment relationships with partners with whom it does not have
trade and investment agreements, such as Taiwan.
In addition, the EU remains interested in further engaging with ASEAN and its member
states, including through the possible resumption of trade negotiations with Malaysia, thePhilippines and Thailand, once the conditions are right, and by the eventual negotiation of aregion-to-region trade agreement.
Several Indo-Pacific countries benefit from EU tariff preferences under the Generalised
Scheme of Preferences (GSP), facilitating access to EU markets. While the least developed
countries in the region benefit from the duty-free, quota-free Everything But Armsarrangement10, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka gain from the incentive arrangement
for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+). These instruments havecontributed considerably to the economic development of these countries, their respect forhuman and labour rights, and the protection of environment and improvements ingovernance.
4.2 GREEN TRANSITION
EU action in the Indo-Pacific is based on a long-term plan to work with partners to fight,
mitigate and adapt to climate change and to counter biodiversity loss, pollution and otherforms of environmental degradation. This will be achieved by tackling the drivers of these
phenomena and by moving to a more circular economy.
As part of the strategy, the EU will:

9 The coverage of the existing EPA with the Pacific Island States (Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands) is

likely to extend to new members (Tonga, Timor-Leste and possibly Kiribati, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), and its scope is likely to
be deepened to services and investment.
10
All countries categorised as Least Developed Countries by the UN qualify for the “Everything but Arms” scheme. In the
Indo-Pacific region this concerns inter alia Bangladesh, Cambodia, Djibouti, Laos, Madagascar, Mozambique.

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Conclude Green Alliances11 with like-minded partners that have signed up to the goalof climate neutrality by 2050 and other ambitious climate and environmental
objectives. The first such alliance was agreed with Japan in May 2021. The EU will
also build Green Partnerships with other partners.
Continue to use the International Platform on Sustainable Finance12 to share bestpractices and seek common ground with like-minded partners on approaches andtools.
Engage with the largest emitting countries or regional organisations that can play adecisive role in fighting climate change and promoting the global green transition.
Continue to prioritise the transition away from coal in bilateral and multilateralengagements and international fora, including ending new coal investments, phase-out
of unabated coal-fired power generation and coal mining, and engage on justtransition with the partners in the region.
Step up its work with the region to protect biodiversity and restore degradedecosystems on land and in the oceans. This will include work with key partners on an
ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cooperate to create the conditions for more circular-production models, more resilient
supply chains between the EU and the region, and more responsible resource
extraction
Promote deforestation-free supply chains.
Continue to promote enhanced regional and global action to tackle plastic pollution13,
notably by cooperating with ASEAN, Japan and China.
Continue high-level dialogues and other forms of engagement on environment in theregion notably with ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic ofKorea, South Africa and other partners showing interest.

The Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) –Global Europe14 , has increased the spending target for actions focusing on fighting climatechange to 30%. Around 35% of the Horizon Europe research programme will also be
dedicated to climate action, offering significant cooperation opportunities for EU and IndoPacific partners to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
Clean Energy and Transport
In this area, the EU intends to focus on:

Mobilising energy dialogues, partnerships, and financial instruments for sustainable,
secure and affordable energy.15
Prioritising a just transition towards a decarbonised, integrated energy system thattakes into account and mitigates the impact on more vulnerable countries and regions.

11 Green Alliances and Partnerships https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/topics/green-deal_en
12 Platform on Sustainable Financehttps://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/banking-and-finance/sustainablefinance/overview-sustainable-finance/platform-sustainable-finance_en
13 Notably through the Re-thinking Plastics project
14 Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood,
Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe.
15
Existing partnerships include projects such as the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India TAPI Pipeline and theCentral Asia-South Asia CASA1000 energy project.

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Continuing cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners on R&D on clean energy
technology, including renewable hydrogen as a priority area, to enable a faster,cheaper and more efficient energy transition.16
Boosting cooperation under the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy,
focusing on cities as drivers of climate action and clean energy transition, in order todouble the number of signatories in the region (nearly 300 cities by 2023).
Implementing its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy to address the issues ofdecarbonisation and digitalisation with Indo-Pacific partners and at the International
Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organisation.
Continuing its engagement with several Indo-Pacific economies on digitalisation oftransport, as well as in the rail sector, in particular with regard to the deployment of
the European Rail Traffic Management System.
4.3 OCEAN GOVERNANCE

The EU will take forward action to strengthening ocean governance in the Indo-Pacific in fullcompliance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, and with the main objective toensure the sustainable management of the ocean’s resources and safeguarding biodiversity. 17
Through its various Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements in the region 18 and its
dialogues and working groups19 on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, theEU will continue supporting Indo-Pacific partners in achieving reforms of fisheries
management and control systems. This should improve fisheries compliance, and contributeto the conservation and sustainable management of marine biological resources across theregion.
As the largest export market for seafood products from the Indo-Pacific region, the EU is anactive member of several Regional Fisheries Management Organisations20 which play afundamental role in the sustainable management of fisheries resources. The EU also intends
to become a member of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission. The EU will continue its
efforts to increase the performance of these bodies and engage with like-minded partners
within the RFMOs in the Indo-Pacific region to support them in delivering sustainablefisheries.
In addition, the EU will:

Help broker agreement at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine
Living Resources on the designation of three new Maritime Protected Areas (MPAs)
in the Southern Ocean.
Build capacity for better ocean governance by creating an international marine data
network and a regional ocean forecasting system.
Continue engaging with the region to promote better regional ocean governance,
pollution prevention and marine conservation, notably by supporting the

16 The 2015 Mission Innovation (MI) framework has stimulated investments of over $4.9 billion in clean energy innovation

per year and over 70 new collaborations over the past 5 years, now focusing on innovation on shipping, hydrogen and power.
17 In line with the Joint Communication on International Ocean Governance JOIN(2016) 49 final
18 Cook Islands, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique andSeychelles. Discussions with other partners in the region will be pursued.
19 with Taiwan, Thailand, China, Thailand, Ghana, Korea, the US and Japan.
20 The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Organisation, the Western and Central PacificFisheries Commission and the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation.

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implementation of relevant Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans. The
effective management of Marine Protected Areas will be ensured through initiatives
like the EU-South East Asia twinning project.
Continue its high-level dialogues on ocean affairs and fisheries with Australia,
Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand as well as “Ocean Partnership” with China.
Continue to play a key role as a global maritime security provider (see section 4.6).
Promote living and working conditions of fishers in accordance with the labour
standards of the ILO.
4.4 DIGITAL GOVERNANCE AND PARTNERSHIPSIn line with the Communication 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital
Decade21, the EU will seek to enhance its international digital partnerships in the IndoPacific region and set up new ones. These partnerships aim to enhance technical, policy andresearch cooperation with partners on infrastructures, digital transformation of business andpublic services, and skills development, also with a view to facilitating digital trade. They
will allow the EU and like-minded partners to ensure the development of standards for
emerging technologies, including in areas like artificial intelligence, in line with democratic
principles and fundamental rights. They will be underpinned by a toolbox, drawing on
regulatory cooperation, capacity building and skills, and investment in international
cooperation and research partnerships.
In the most advanced cases, the EU will seek to formalise such partnerships through DigitalPartnership Agreements to be negotiated with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Such agreements would expand the bilateral trade and investment relationship by enhancing
cooperation on and interoperability of standards for emerging technologies, such as Artificial
Intelligence, based on democratic principles and fundamental rights, building more resilient
technology supply chains, supporting values-based innovation and facilitating business
opportunities for start-ups and SMEs. They would enable deepened cooperation on data
governance, trusted flows and data-based innovation. They would complement ongoingnegotiations on e-commerce within the World Trade Organisation on specific issues that are
relevant for the facilitation of digital trade. At an initial stage, the EU proposes to explore thelaunch of negotiations with Japan22, Republic of Korea and Singapore.
The digital partnership between the EU and India was strengthened in May 2021 with anagreement to deepen cooperation on emerging technologies, ranging from Artificial
Intelligence to High Performance Computing and from Quantum Technologies to secure 5G
technology and public sector digitalisation.
In the years ahead, the EU will enhance its cooperation with ASEAN by supporting theASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025. The EU is considering proposing an EU-ASEAN
approach covering digital connectivity and science, research, technology and investment ininnovation.

21

2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade: Digital decade (europa.eu)

22 At the Summit held in May 2021, the EU and Japan set out to strengthen their Digital Partnership by agreeing to acooperation roadmap for expanding cooperation on 6G, standardisation, Artificial Intelligence, block chain, quantum
technology or cyber security, as well as to cooperate towards more resilient supply chains for semiconductors, and to explore
cooperation on innovation in advanced semiconductors

10The EU will also continue its engagement in the region to promote convergence between
data protection regimes to ensure safe and free data flows, both within the region andbeyond, including with the EU. This includes actively engaging with key partners to reach an“adequacy finding”, where the conditions are met. This has already yielded results, such as
the creation of the world’s largest area of free and safe data flows between the EU and Japan
in 2019 and the conclusion of adequacy talks with the Republic of Korea in 2021. In
addition, important work is ongoing with New Zealand to ensure the continuity of theadequacy decision adopted under the EU’s previous data protection regime. Other partners
such as India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand have adopted, or are putting inplace, modern data protection laws. This could possibly pave the way for future adequacytalks. The EU is also stepping up its dialogue with regional organisations and networks such
as ASEAN that are playing an increasing role in shaping common data protection standards.
Research and Innovation
International cooperation on research and innovation is crucial for the green and digitaltransitions and for promoting growth, prosperity and social well-being. Cooperation withpartners in the Indo-Pacific will be promoted under ‘Horizon Europe’, in line with the EU’s
Global Approach23 to Research and Innovation. It will be based on the principle of openness,balanced with greater levels of reciprocity and seeking a level-playing field based on respect
for fundamental principles such as academic freedom, gender equality, ethics, integrity andinclusiveness of research, open science and evidence-based policy-making.
The Horizon Europe programme offers the possibility for partners sharing common values tobecome associated, in order enable more systemic joint Research and Innovation
opportunities. Informal discussions have started with Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
New Zealand and Singapore. The EU will also continue to promote cooperation in humancapital development, including training and mobility of researchers through the Marie
Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme.
Scientific cooperation and development ofcollaborative regional activities is also part of the EU-ASEAN partnership.
Education
EU investments in education will be increased to at least 10% of the Neighbourhood,
Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe24 with aview to strengthening education systems. The recent Team Europe pledge of EUR 1.7 billion
to the Global Partnership on Education will translate into increased funding for primary andsecondary education, as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
The new Erasmus+ programme will also provide continued opportunities for academic
exchanges of students and teachers between the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, in key
policy areas linked to the green and digital transitions in particular.25

23 Global Approach to International Cooperation on Research and Innovation
24 Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood,

Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe
25Over the 2014-2020 period, Erasmus+ allowed more than 18 000 exchanges of students and teachers between the IndoPacific region and Europe, with two thirds of the beneficiaries coming from the Indo-Pacific region to Europe.

114.5 CONNECTIVITY
The EU will aim to promote all dimensions of connectivity with Indo-Pacific partners. The
principles of the EU’s approach26 (sustainable, comprehensive and rules-based) are a core
part of this Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Full partnership between the EU and its Member States will be crucial in developing thiscooperation. The EU will promote investments in digitalisation and better connect Europe to
its partners in the Indo-Pacific, including by means of Team Europe initiatives and in linewith the March 2021 EU Declaration on “European Data Gateways” 27. This will be achievedin part by helping partners to put in place a regulatory and policy environment that will
attract private and public investment, level the playing field, ensure the fulfilment ofsustainability criteria and the adoption of international standards and principles.
Mobilising private investment will need to involve Member States’ public banks and export
credit agencies, in partnership with the EU’s private sector and EU institutions. Where
appropriate, and in addition to the Neighbourhood, Development and International
Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe, complementarity will be sought with otherEU instruments such as ‘Connecting Europe Facility’, ‘Horizon Europe’ or InvestEU, alongwith resources and technical assistance from the European Investment Bank, the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Financial Institutions.
The EU’s first two “Connectivity Partners”, Japan and India, are core Indo-Pacific partners,
as is ASEAN, with which the EU agreed a joint Ministerial Declaration on Connectivity inDecember 2020. The EU will seek to collaborate with these partners on joint projects, while
seeking increased collaboration with other regional partners such as Australia and theRepublic of Korea as well as with international actors such as the United States and Canada,both multilaterally (G7/G20) and bilaterally. The conclusion of the negotiations on the
ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (CATA), the first such region-toregion agreement, encompassing 37 countries, shows the EU’s determination to deepen
connectivity with this region.
The EU will further:
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strengthen relations at the highest technical level through its Transport Dialogues withpartners in the region, such as ASEAN, Singapore and Japan, and shortly with theRepublic of Korea and Australia;
continue to fund sector-specific technical cooperation such as Aviation Partnerships witha number of Asian regions;Continue the EU bilateral maritime transport and security dialogues with strategic
partners.
Pursue space dialogues, including a security component where appropriate, and establish
new exchanges with partners in the region.

Further efforts will be made to engage on connectivity with partners and regionalorganisations in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean, to ensure greater alignment with
26 As set out in the 2018 Communication on EU-Asia Connectivity.

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European Data Gateways Declaration:
CB1F162C9F47AC25_74941 (3).pdf

digital_day_2021_data_gateways_declaration_E5DAD6A3-ECB7-0A42-

12infrastructure priorities endorsed by the African Union for 2021-2030. The PacificCommunity should also benefit from closer ties. The EU will seek complementarity withexisting regional initiatives in South Asia.28 More broadly, the EU will seek synergies onnorth-south links in the region, and will continue to participate in the ASEM sustainable
connectivity framework.
4.6 SECURITY AND DEFENCEThe EU seeks to promote an open and rules-based regional security architecture, including
secure sea lines of communication, capacity-building and enhanced naval presence in the
Indo-Pacific in accordance with the legal framework established by the UNCLOS.
The EU and the Indo-Pacific partners face increasingly similar security challenges andthreats.29 The EU has expanded its security engagement with partners by deploying overseas
missions and operations in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy(CSDP) including, in 2005, a civilian mission to monitor the Aceh Peace Process inIndonesia, which was conducted with five ASEAN partners: Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei,
Singapore and the Philippines. The EU currently has 18 civilian and military missions
worldwide, including the EU naval operation EUNAVFOR Somalia - Operation Atalanta
in the Indian Ocean, as well as EUTM Mozambique.
Naval PresenceOver the past year, EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) – Operation Atalanta conductedsuccessful joint naval activities with Indo-Pacific partners, including Japan, Pakistan, India
and Djibouti. The EU will seek to conduct more joint exercises and port calls with IndoPacific partners, including multilateral exercises, to fight piracy and protect freedom ofnavigation while reinforcing EU naval diplomacy in the region.
Given the importance of a meaningful European naval presence in the Indo-Pacific, the EU
will explore ways to ensure enhanced naval deployments by its Member States in the region.
Taking into account the lessons learned from the first assessment of the EU CoordinatedMaritime Presences (CMP) concept30, the EU will assess the opportunity of establishing
Maritime Areas of Interest in the Indo-Pacific and engage with partners in the region,
including by exploring the possibility for them to be associated with this initiative.
Maritime Security Capacity-Building
The EU will continue to implement its programme to promote Regional Maritime Security
for the partners of the Western Indian Ocean, and also seek to extend its Critical Maritime
Routes in the Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO) capacity-building project to the Southern
Pacific, and increase synergies with likeminded partners. It will build maritime capacity
against drug trafficking, human trafficking and wildlife crime, and also illicit financial flows
28 Including the South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity Initiative, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral

Technical and Economic Cooperation, and the Coalition for Development of Resilient Infrastructure.
29
May 2018 Council conclusions on the Enhanced EU Security Cooperation in and with Asia.
30
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/01/25/gulf-of-guinea-council-conclusions-launching-thepilot-case-for-the-coordinated-maritime-presences-concept/

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linked to terrorism. The EU will also encourage the consolidation of information-sharing
mechanisms through information fusion centres, including through the Indo-PacificRegional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform.
Broadening our Partnerships
The EU will seek to play a stronger role in the ASEAN security architecture and participate
in the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) structures and the East Asia
Summit. In addition, the EU will step up its engagement in other fora, such as the Indian
Ocean Naval Symposium.
The EU will intensify its dialogues with partners on security and defence, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, non-proliferation and disarmament, space and maritime security
dialogues. In this context, it is deploying military advisors to EU Delegations in the region(to date to China and Indonesia). The EU will establish an EU Cyber Diplomacy Network,
working with the EU Delegations, as well as with relevant Member States’ embassies aroundthe world.
The EU will also step up activities with partners under the project Enhancing Security
Cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA), which covers counter-terrorism, cybersecurity,
maritime security and crisis management. The pilot partners are India, Indonesia, Japan, theRepublic of Korea, Singapore and Vietnam, with EU military experts already operating inIndonesia and in Vietnam.
Indo-Pacific partners have already contributed to EU CSDP missions and operations forpeace and stability. The EU has concluded Framework Participation Agreements with
Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and Vietnam. The EU will encourage greater
participation of Indo-Pacific partners in CSDP missions and operations, seek to conclude
Framework Participation Agreements with other Indo-Pacific partners, and, in addition,
support Indo-Pacific partners’ efforts to develop their own peacekeeping capacity.
New Security Challenges
On cybersecurity, the EU will strengthen capacity-building for partners to tackle
cybercrime, making use of existing standards and cooperation mechanisms (namely theCouncil of Europe “Budapest Convention” on cybercrime), and to increase cyber-resilience.
On counter-terrorism, it will take action to empower communities to counter violent
extremism. The EU will also promote cooperation between Europol and law-enforcement
agencies of partners.
The EU will cooperate with partners on nuclear safety and non-proliferation of nuclear,chemical and biological weapons. It will support the implementation and universalisation of
the Arms Trade Treaty, and seek to develop multilateral initiatives on arm export control
and dual use export control with likeminded partners. The EU Chemical, Biological,
Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative (EUCBRN CoE), has been cooperating with ASEAN countries since 2010. It will continue to14

support partners and regions in strengthening CBRN risk mitigation and all-hazards security
governance, following a voluntary and demand-driven approach31.
The EU will help combat foreign information manipulation and interference by state andnon-state actors in the Indo-Pacific region through new tools aimed at identifying, analysing,assessing, countering and imposing costs on information manipulation. It will expand expert
networks in the region, share information and experience with likeminded partners, and raiseawareness of information manipulation and interference. Action in this field will include
support for independent content for media outlets. This will help foster a pluralistic and factbased information environment, reduce dependence on state-controlled foreign outlets, andcounter their impact.

4.7 HUMAN SECURITY
HealthThe COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, worldwide, the weaknesses of healthcare systems, of
epidemic response mechanisms and of research and manufacturing capacities in the field ofviral diseases and vaccines. Health has therefore become a key focus of our cooperation
with many partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The EU adopted two major regional
programmes in 2020 to assist our partners in coping with the sanitary impact of the pandemic.
The EU will continue to work with all Indo-Pacific partners to ensure an effective multilateral
response to the COVID-19 and future global health crisis. This would encompass: Helping low and middle-income Indo-Pacific partners to secure access to the COVID-19
vaccine through the COVAX facility and through other means. The EU has supported
many countries in the region32 by providing personal and medical equipment, medicinesand health expertise. India will be a focus for cooperation, including on the quality ofactive pharmaceutical ingredients. The future EU Health emergency and preparedness
response authority will cooperate closely with global partners to address international
supply chains and expand global production capacity and access to medical
countermeasures
 Enhanced multilateral cooperation in line with the EU Pharmaceutical Strategy to secure
safe and diverse pharmaceutical and health-related industrial supply chains, tofacilitate access to quality medicines and health products.
 Collaborative research for combating communicable diseases and improving access to
medicines and health treatments. Under the ‘Horizon Europe’ research programme,
Indo-Pacific partners will be able to take part in EU-funded Research and Innovation
actions.
31 https://europa.eu/cbrn-risk-mitigation/index_en

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Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic,
Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, TimorLeste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam

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Connecting interested countries that have put in place interoperable COVID-19 certificate
systems to the EU Digital COVID Certificate. The EU has made the technicalspecifications as well as underlying software publicly available in open source format.
Supporting transformation towards healthy and sustainable food systems. The EU aims toenhance cooperation on its Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies with like-minded
partners. The EU intends to establish dialogues on sustainable food systems withinterested Indo-Pacific partners (some of which are planning their own sustainability
policies and programmes) or enter into bilateral and multilateral arrangements with aview to support collaboration on food safety, animal and plant health and sustainability.
Working together to fight air pollution, especially in urban centres.

Reinforcing the EU’s disaster risk reduction and preparedness engagement
The Indo-Pacific region is highly exposed to natural and human-induced disasters. Climatechange not only amplifies this exposure, but is also a threat multiplier that complicates andprolongs conflict situations, thus increasing humanitarian needs. In particular, anticipatory
approaches to humanitarian action and early warning systems can help bolster the resilienceof communities in vulnerable regions. The EU will use its Chairmanship of the Platform on
Disaster Displacement in 2022 to promote global efforts to protect people displaced bydisasters and climate change in the Indo-Pacific.
For the last 25 years, the EU has been working with actors in the region on disaster
preparedness and response - including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Mozambique, Bangladesh,
Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal and some ASEAN countries most affected by natural andhuman-induced disasters. The EU has provided relief items or emergency teams in responseto emergencies or disasters and will continue to support disaster management capacity
building with organisations like the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian
Assistance (AHA Centre). Actions in the context of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure will also be considered.
The European Global Navigation Satellite system will offer a new service to broadcast alert
messages using the Galileo infrastructure. Collaboration is ongoing with Japan towards acommon emergency message format. The EU’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service
continues to assist relief effort of Indo-Pacific countries and provides early warning andmonitoring information on floods, droughts and forest fires.
5. IMPLEMENTING THE AGENDA: KEY ACTIONSThe EU will mainstream this strategy into existing dialogues with its regional and multilateral
partners, and coordinate approaches to the Indo-Pacific with EU Member States. Its
implementation will be enhanced by summits, ministerial meetings, dialogues and futureagreements with partners in the region. The European Parliament will be kept fully informed.
The implementation of the Strategy will be financed from a number of sources –including the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument(NDICI) – Global Europe, – in accordance with its scope. The EU will maximise the impact
of its budget by implementing guarantees and blended finance instruments supported by theEuropean Fund for Sustainable Development “Plus” to ensure broad-based mobilisation of16

development finance, including from the private sector, in cooperation with European andinternational financial institutions.
Highlights of proposed EU actions:
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Engaging with Indo-Pacific partners to build more resilient and sustainable global
value chains by diversifying trade and economic relations, and by developing
technological standards and regulations that are in line with our values andprinciples.
Completing EU trade negotiations with Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand;
resuming trade negotiations and starting investment negotiations with India;
completing an Economic Partnership Agreement with the East Africa Community;
assessing the possible resumption of trade negotiations with Malaysia, the Philippines
and Thailand, and the eventual negotiation of a region-to-region trade agreement with
ASEAN.
Concluding Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA) with Malaysia andThailand; starting PCA negotiations with the Maldives, and bringing the EU’s
upcoming Partnership Agreement with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) to
full fruition.
Concluding Green Alliances and Partnerships with willing and ambitious Indo-Pacificpartners to fight against climate change and environmental degradation.
Strengthening ocean governance in the region, including increasing the EU’s support
for Indo-Pacific countries’ fisheries management and control systems, the fightagainst IUU fishing and the implementation of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Agreements.
Expanding the network of digital partnerships with Indo-Pacific partners, as well as
exploring the possibility of new Digital Partnership Agreements.
Stepping up implementation of the Connectivity Partnerships with Japan and India;
supporting partners in establishing an appropriate regulatory environment andfacilitating the mobilisation of the necessary funding to improve connectivity on the
ground between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Strengthen cooperation on research and innovation under ‘Horizon Europe’; explore
the association to this programme of eligible likeminded Indo-Pacific partners such as
Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and Singapore.
Exploring ways to ensure enhanced naval deployments by EU Member States to help
protect the sea lines of communication and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacificwhile boosting Indo-Pacific partners’ capacity to ensure maritime security.
Reinforcing support to healthcare systems and pandemic preparedness for the leastdeveloped countries in the Indo-Pacific region, enhancing collaborative research oncommunicable diseases in the context of the Horizon Europe research programme.

The Commission and the High Representative invite the European Parliament and theCouncil to endorse the approach set out in this Joint Communication and to work together on
the implementation of its actions and their review.
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