The Stakeholders Forum and the European Union Domestic Advisory Groups (EU-DAGs) established within the European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) generate opportunities for cross-border social dialogue.
The Stakeholders Forum
The EUSFTA, in force since 21 November 2019, includes Chapter 12 on “Trade and Sustainable Development,” which envisages, among other things, that each meeting of the Board on Trade and Sustainable Development (comprising senior government officials from each Party) shall include a public session with “stakeholders” to exchange views on issues related to the implementation of this Chapter. The Parties shall promote a balanced representation of relevant interests, including “independent representative organizations of employers, workers, environmental interests, and business groups, as well as other relevant stakeholders." In practice, the Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) members of each Party take part in this Stakeholders Forum. According to the Agreement, DAGs must be consulted at the national level about implementing Chapter 12. A DAG's composition should be based on a "balanced representation of independent economic, social, and environmental stakeholders, including employers' and workers' organizations and environmental groups.”
Also, according to Chapter 12, the Parties “recognize the value of international cooperation and agreements on employment and labour affairs as a response of the international community to economic, employment and social challenges and opportunities resulting from globalization.” They also commit “to respecting, promoting and effectively implementing the principles concerning the fundamental rights at work,” “to effectively implementing the ILO Conventions that Singapore and the Member States of the Union have ratified respectively” and “make continued and sustained efforts towards ratifying and effectively implementing the fundamental ILO conventions, and they will exchange information in this regard.”
The first EUSFTA Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Public Stakeholders' Forum was held on 20 November 2020, and a second forum took place in March 2023.
The European Union Domestic Advisory Group (EU-DAG) and the joint sessions with the Domestic Advisory Group of Singapore
While DAGs are ordinarily spaces for dialogue between national organizations, the EU-DAG is an example of cross-border dialogue as it brings together organizations from different EU Member States. As such, the EU-DAG for the EUSFTA includes representatives of European trade unions and business organizations, as well as representatives of national trade unions, alongside other civil society organizations. See more information on the composition and meetings.
In addition, the DAGs of both parties meet regularly to address specific topics.