At a press conference on November 2, EC Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said that the EC assessed that Vietnam has made great efforts in building a legal basis to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the current issue is to enforce these legal regulations.
EC Vice President Valdis Dombroskiv
EU DELEGATION TO VIETNAM
"In October this year, a European Union (EU) inspection delegation on the issue of combating IUU fishing came to Vietnam, which identified issues that still need to be resolved, but the EC strongly committed to working with Vietnam in this process," Mr. Dombrovskis shared.
The EC Executive Vice President said that in the next few months, a new EU inspection team will come to Vietnam on this issue and will soon come to a conclusion on the possibility of removing the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood.
In response to the question of whether the European anti-deforestation law makes it difficult for imported goods from countries, including Vietnam, the EC Executive Vice President cited the European Green Deal, and said that all sectors must participate in contributing to the green transition and trade is no exception.
"Every EU agreement with foreign partners has a chapter on sustainable development. The new anti-deforestation regulation aims to address the same issue, to fulfil the desire of Europeans that all EU products imported do not originate from deforestation, and do not cause consequences for resources in other countries," Mr. Dombrovskis shared.
According to the EC Executive Vice President, Vietnam has had constructive discussions with the EU on this issue. Vietnam is a major trade partner of the EU, especially in Southeast Asia. The EU wants to promote in many areas, especially the green economy.
Regarding the challenges in implementing the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Mr. Dombrovskis assessed that this is a good agreement to promote two-way trade, helping Vietnam attract capital sources from outside.
"Vietnam has benefited from exporting goods to Europe. Currently, Vietnamese goods are present in Europe significantly more than those of regional partners, surpassing even countries with larger populations in ASEAN such as Indonesia... In the near future, the two sides will negotiate to continue opening up the goods market and accessing each other's markets," the EC Vice President affirmed.
Cooperation between the two sides is being promoted in many aspects, according to Mr. Dombrovskis, in the past 3 years after EVFTA came into effect, bringing very positive results.
Last year saw bilateral trade turnover hit a record 64 billion euros, making Vietnam Europe’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. Vice President Dombrovskis also said that during his working sessions with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Industry and Trade during his visit, he discussed the EVFTA and how to further promote the agreement in a way that brings mutual benefits to both sides.
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