Sittings · Document
On a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the changing geopolitical situation in East Asia and the need for closer cooperation with like-minded partners in the region
Committee on International Trade · Rapporteur: Rihards Kols
PA_NonLeg
AMENDMENTS
The Committee on International Trade submits the following to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, as the committee responsible:
Amendment 1
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
– having regard to the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement1a,
1a OJ L 330, 27.12.2018, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2018/1907/oj.
Amendment 2
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
– having regard to the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part1a,
1a OJ L 127, 14.5.2011, p. 6, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2011/265/oj.
Amendment 3
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
– having regard to the commitment to enhance cooperation on critical raw materials given by the EU, Japan and the United States at the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting on 4 February 2026,
Amendment 4
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
– having regard to the Green Alliance between the EU and Japan and the Green Partnership between the EU and the Republic of Korea,
Amendment 5
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
A. whereas East Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific are pivotal to global prosperity and security, hosting vital sea lanes, advanced technology ecosystems, major trade routes, over half the world’s population, and critical supply chains essential to EU economic resilience and geopolitical influence;
A. whereas East Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific are pivotal to global prosperity and security, hosting vital sea lanes, advanced technology ecosystems, major trade routes, over half the world’s population, and critical supply chains essential to EU economic competitiveness, export performance and long-term industrial resilience, including in strategic sectors such as semiconductor production, digital technology and advanced manufacturing; whereas it is also a region accounting for a substantial and growing share of EU external trade and investment flows;
Amendment 6
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Aa. whereas economic security, including resilient and diversified supply chains for critical raw materials, semiconductors and clean technologies, is an integral part of trade, foreign and security policy;
Amendment 7
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ab. whereas reducing strategic dependencies, notably on China, and making supply chains more resilient and more diversified in critical sectors are essential for the EU’s economic security and competitiveness, in line with the EU’s derisking strategy, while avoiding unnecessary economic decoupling;
Amendment 8
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ac. whereas raw materials resources in the region and the EU are limited; whereas the countries of both regions have obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the principle of most favoured nation in the trade of critical raw materials, when relevant;
Amendment 9
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ad. whereas the principles traditionally underpinning trade, such as openness, market access, trade liberalisation and economic growth, need to be connected with broader societal values such as resilience, sustainable development and democracy, in both the EU and its international partners;
Amendment 10
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
B. whereas East Asia’s geopolitical landscape has become increasingly volatile in recent years, with regional power dynamics being increasingly shaped by systemic rivalry, maritime disputes, coercive economic practices and military build-ups that challenge the rules-based international order;
B. whereas East Asia’s geopolitical landscape has become increasingly volatile in recent years, with regional power dynamics being increasingly shaped by systemic rivalry, maritime disputes, military build-ups and the expanding influence of authoritarian governance models that deploy coercive economic practices including discriminatory market access, selective customs enforcement, trade distortions, export restrictions and economic coercion measures targeting strategic sectors;
Amendment 11
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ba. whereas the WTO plays a crucial role in promoting a fair, open and rules-based global trading system, which is essential for ensuring stability and predictability in global economic relations; whereas the EU has a strategic interest in reinforcing a rules-based, open and fair multilateral trading system, with the reformed WTO at its core, and in working with Indo-Pacific partners to modernise and enforce global trade rules;
Amendment 12
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
C. whereas the increasingly complex security challenges have a profound impact on both Europe’s and Indo-Pacific’s stability and prosperity, with the two regions’ stability more interlinked than ever; whereas both are directly affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the support of third countries that are enabling Russian aggression;
C. whereas the increasingly complex security challenges have a profound impact on both Europe’s and Indo-Pacific’s stability and prosperity, with the two regions’ stability more interlinked than ever; whereas both are directly affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the support of third countries that are enabling Russian aggression and disruptions in oil and gas supplies from the Strait of Hormuz;
Amendment 13
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ea. whereas the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) entered into force in 2019 and was amended to include provisions on the free flow of data in 2024; whereas Japan ranks as the EU’s seventh-largest trading partner;
Amendment 14
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Fa. whereas the EU-RoK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which has provisionally applied since 2011, marked the first of a new generation of EU trade agreements; whereas the EU initiated the dispute settlement mechanism under the Trade and Sustainable Development chapter of the FTA, including the establishment of a panel of experts, which, despite being a challenging process, contributed to the RoK taking legislative and institutional steps towards better implementation of its labour commitments, including the ratification of the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO); whereas the RoK is the EU’s eighth-largest trading partner; whereas the EU has concluded negotiations on a digital trade agreement with the RoK;
Amendment 15
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
G. whereas Taiwan is a key democratic partner for the EU in the East Asia region; whereas the White Paper for European Defence: Readiness 2030 expresses concern over China’s coercion of Taiwan through the intensification of political, economic, military and cyber measures; whereas peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential to global security and prosperity;
G. whereas Taiwan is a key democratic partner for the EU in the East Asia region; whereas the White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 expresses concern over China’s coercion of Taiwan through the intensification of political, economic, military and cyber measures; whereas Taiwan has launched a RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables in order to promote global cooperation on improving the security of undersea cables that carry over 95 % of intercontinental data traffic, including financial transactions, supply chain coordination and digital trade flows critical to EU economic security; whereas peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential to global security and prosperity, including for international trade flows, investment certainty and the functioning of global supply chains;
Amendment 16
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ga. whereas Taiwan is the EU’s 13th-largest trading partner and a key economic partner, ranking among the EU’s most important trade and investment partners in Asia, and plays a central role in global value chains, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing;
Amendment 17
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Ha. whereas the EU is the largest source of foreign direct investment stock in Japan, the RoK and Taiwan;
Amendment 18
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Hb. whereas the EU’s cooperation with Japan and the RoK on sustainable development has been important in addressing multilateral environmental challenges, which has enabled closer cooperation on clean technology and the decarbonisation of the economy, as highlighted by the institutional cooperation in the EU-Japan Green Alliance and EU-RoK Green Partnership;
Amendment 19
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Hc. whereas Japan is a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the RoK and Taiwan have applied for membership; whereas the EU launched a Trade and Investment Dialogue with CPTPP countries in November 2025;
Amendment 20
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
Hd. whereas the CPTPP has emerged as a major rules-based trade framework in the Indo-Pacific region, setting high standards in areas such as market access and digital trade; whereas enhanced EU engagement with CPTPP members would make supply chains more resilient, promote regulatory cooperation and support the EU’s strategic autonomy;
Amendment 21
Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
He. whereas in the current trade landscape, amid mounting threats to the international rules-based order and global supply chains, more cooperation with like-minded partners is needed;
Amendment 22
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(a) intensify the EU’s strategic focus, presence, visibility and actions in East Asia with the aim of contributing to joint stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, underpinned by the promotion of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and international law;
(a) intensify the EU’s strategic focus, presence, visibility and actions in East Asia with the aim of contributing to joint stability, security, prosperity, sustainable development, underpinned by the promotion of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the international rules-based trading system;
Amendment 23
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(aa) strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy and economic security through trade and investment diversification, secure and predictable supply chains, open markets and trade flows, and closer cooperation with like-minded partners in East Asia, while ensuring mutual benefits and local value creation, and upholding the EU’s commitment to fair and sustainable trade;
Amendment 24
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ab) reinforce the commitment of the EU, Japan and the RoK to the international rules-based trading order with the WTO at its core, and increase cooperation on the long-needed reform of the WTO, to preserve a fair, predictable and rules-based global trading system; make progress on plurilateral initiatives, including on e-commerce, digital trade, and investment facilitation for development;
Amendment 25
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(b) deepen cooperation with like-minded partners in the region, particularly Japan, the RoK and Taiwan, to address common challenges in areas such as cybersecurity, hybrid threats including foreign information manipulation and interference, maritime and space security, non-proliferation, and emerging defence technologies, including advancing drone technology, while strengthening synergies with key partners and regional organisations in full respect of the UN Charter;
(b) deepen cooperation with like-minded partners in the region, particularly Japan, the RoK and Taiwan, to address common challenges in areas such as cybersecurity, hybrid threats including foreign information manipulation and interference, maritime and space security, non-proliferation, and emerging defence technologies such as advances in drone technology, via, for example, support for semiconductor and strategic technology resilience in Taiwan, Japan and the RoK, in order to diversify the EU’s military industrial supply chain, while strengthening synergies with key partners and regional organisations in full respect of the UN Charter;
Amendment 26
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ca) implement the trade agreements with Japan and the RoK fully and effectively, including in the areas of market access, non-tariff barriers, sustainable development, regulatory cooperation and, with regard to the RoK, ensure implementation of the fundamental ILO conventions; ask for an assessment of the qualitative and quantitative impact of the trade agreements on the trade flows between the EU and Japan, and the EU and the RoK;
Amendment 27
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(cb) foster closer cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU and those in its partner countries in East Asia, to promote mutual business opportunities, enhance market access and strengthen innovation networks, with particular emphasis on ensuring that SMEs in the EU benefit from expanded access to markets in East Asia, while their interests and competitiveness are safeguarded through effective protection mechanisms;
Amendment 28
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(cc) continue to support the EU and Japanese SME contact points, which were established to maximise the benefit of the EPA for SMEs;
Amendment 29
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c d (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(cd) continue to expand the EU-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue and strengthen the strategic economic cooperation between both parties, particularly in key areas such as economic security, trade and industrial policy; accelerate the implementation of the EU-Japan Competitiveness Alliance;
Amendment 30
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c e (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ce) urge the Specialised Committee on Emerging Trade and Economic Issues, newly created under the EU-RoK FTA, to speed up cooperation, particularly on topics with relevance for economic security, such as critical supply chains and overcapacity;
Amendment 31
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(g) establish a dedicated EU–Taiwan cooperation framework focused on semiconductors, cyber resilience, disinformation countermeasures, public health, civil protection and secure connectivity; continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international bodies and technical fora, such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; intensify regular exchanges between the EU and its Taiwanese counterparts on relevant security issues;
(g) establish a structured and comprehensive EU–Taiwan cooperation framework, building on existing mechanisms such as the Trade and Investment Dialogue, with a strong economic and trade component, focused on critical technologies and supply chain resilience, cybersecurity, disinformation countermeasures, public health, civil protection and secure connectivity; continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international bodies and technical fora, such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; intensify regular exchanges between the EU and its Taiwanese counterparts on relevant security issues, economic security, supply chain agility and the protection of critical infrastructure;
Amendment 32
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ga) further deepen the EU-Taiwan Trade and Investment Dialogue with a view to addressing market access barriers and enhancing legal certainty for EU investors; promote closer cooperation with Taiwan on critical supply chains, in particular in the field of semiconductor production and advanced manufacturing, by encouraging joint research, development and industrial cooperation projects, as well as closer cooperation on talent development, skills mobility and academic exchanges, including Erasmus+; explore the launch of negotiations on an EU-Taiwan bilateral investment agreement or other trade-related frameworks; recognise Taiwan’s experience in managing economic exposure to China and its strengths in democratic governance, transparent regulatory standards and resilient digital and technological ecosystems;
Amendment 33
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ha) highlight the importance of the EU’s economic security instruments to address coercive economic practices and safeguard fair competition, including the Anti-Coercion Instrument, effective mechanisms for foreign direct investment screening, and export control regimes, where appropriate and in line with EU law; pool the EU’s geoeconomic leverage, including through coordinated export controls, joint risk assessments and collective responses to economic coercion, thereby transforming bilateral dependencies into effective deterrence and strengthening both the EU’s economic security and that of its partners;
Amendment 34
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(hb) emphasise the importance of strengthening cooperation with like-minded partners in East Asia to enhance the resilience and security of critical infrastructure and connectivity, including digital networks, undersea cables and key supply chains;
Amendment 35
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(i) accelerate cooperation by negotiating trilateral or quadrilateral agreements and initiatives on issues of common interest; advance existing EU-Japan and EU-RoK Digital Partnerships with shared commitments on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, next-generation connectivity, quantum computing, data governance, cybersecurity, submarine cables, digital identity and supply-chain resilience;
(i) accelerate cooperation by negotiating trilateral or quadrilateral agreements and initiatives on issues of common interest; advance existing EU-Japan and EU-RoK Digital Partnerships with shared commitments on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, next-generation connectivity, quantum computing, data governance, cybersecurity, submarine cables, digital identity and supply-chain resilience, while putting in place adequate safeguards for data privacy and data protection;
Amendment 36
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ia) ensure that any future economic or sector-specific agreements with like-minded partners in the region are mutually beneficial partnerships that go beyond economic and security objectives, and also include strong commitments on labour rights, environmental protection and the development of clean and sustainable value chains, in line with the EU’s Trade and Sustainable Development framework;
Amendment 37
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j a (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(ja) make progress on high-standard rules on digital trade, including cross-border data flows, the prohibition of unjustified data localisation and the protection of intellectual property, in cooperation with like-minded partners;
Amendment 38
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j b (new)
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
(jb) explore closer cooperation with the CPTPP;
Amendment 39
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Motion for a resolution
Amendment
2. Looks forward to deepening parliamentary diplomacy and inter-parliamentary exchange on items of mutual interest with the Diet of Japan, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan;
2. Looks forward to deepening parliamentary diplomacy and inter-parliamentary exchange on items of mutual interest with the Diet of Japan, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan; calls for enhanced parliamentary oversight of economic security instruments and trade-related agreements linked to EU-East Asia cooperation;
ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT
The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
Date adopted
6.5.2026
Result of final vote
+:
–:
0:
33
2
1
FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
Key to symbols: