The 7th EU-Indonesia Business Dialogue (EIBD) was held in Jakarta on November 28, 2017 at Fairmont Hotel Jakarta. This year’s EIBD successfully attracted more than 200 participants with numerous high level representatives of the Indonesian and the European business communities as well as high-level representatives from both sides’ governments. This year conference aimed as an ideal platform and key focal event for all relevant counterparts to provide recommendations that can be fed into CEPA negotiations.

Initiated in 2016, the EU and Indonesia are currently in the third round of negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (“CEPA”).  The successful completion of CEPA would seize the full potential of the relations between the two economies. For Indonesia, the comprehensive nature of the agreement would help to promote the on-going economic reforms and contribute to the modernisation of the country.

Therefore, the theme of this year’s EIBD was “EU-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership: Maximizing Trade and Investment Opportunities, Supporting Economic Reforms”.

The EIBD Conference 2017 addressed the pressing issues within CEPA, such as trade in services including the movement of natural persons between the EU and Indonesia, standards harmonization, and customs and trade facilitation with high level representatives from European and Indonesian government institutions and companies invited. This year’s edition was opened by the Chairman of Eurocham, Mr. Ulf Backlund, H.E. the Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, Mr. Vincent GUÉREND, and the Minister of Industry for Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Airlangga Hartarto. Mr. Filip Deraedt, EU Deputy Chief Negotiator for CEPA took also part in the event during the panel discussion together with other high level representatives from Indonesian government, associations, companies, and media. The theme of the Panel Discussion was “Value of Indonesia- EU Trade and Investment Relations”.

All participants at the conference successfully discussed possible solutions and joint recommendations on issues affecting trade and investment between the EU and Indonesia.