EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement expected to take effect on August 1

Bich Phuong Tuesday | 06/09/2020 14:21

EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement expected to take effect on August 1Photo: vietnamtextile.org.vn

Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan agreed in a phone talk to put the EVFTA into effect soon to help both countries to counter the coronavirus impacts.

During the phone talks taking place right after the Vietnamese National Assembly had ratified the deal with 100% votes in favor. EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan proposed August 1 as the first day for the trade pact to take effect.

As the EU already gave the notification to Vietnam in April, Vietnam’s coming announcement will also set the date for the EVFTA to take effect for both sides, August 1 as expected.

According to the EU’s internal procedures, the EVFTA needs the European Parliament’s ratification and then the European Council’s approval to come into force.

On February 12 this year, the European Parliament ratified the agreement with 63,35 percent of votes in favor. The European Council also approved the trade pact on March 30 and sent a document to Vietnam on April 24 to inform about the EU’s completion of its last legal procedure.

Meanwhile, the EVFTA sailed through the Vietnamese NA on June 8 with the support of all lawmakers present at the plenum.

Under Article 17.16 of this deal, the EVFTA will take effect on the first day of the second month after the month when both sides inform each other about the completion of corresponding legal procedures for the enforcement, or another date agreed on by both sides.

According to Vietnam’s 2016 law on international treaties, after the NA issued a resolution ratifying the EVFTA (usually one week), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will announce the country’s completion of domestic legal procedures to the EU.

In case the country wishes the agreement to become effective on an earlier date, it will have to discuss with the EU and wait for the results of the bloc’s internal consultation.

If the internal consultation lasts for more than three weeks, it will be hard for the Foreign Ministry of Vietnam to send the announcement of the country’s completion of internal procedures to the EU before July 1, according to officials.

► Vietnam ratifies EU trade pact, accelerating growth amid COVID-19 pandemic

Source: MOIT, Nhan Dan