INITIALLING OF THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION (MEUPCA)

Malaysia and the European Union (EU) initialled the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation (MEUPCA) on 6 April 2016 in Putrajaya. The initialling ceremony was held in the presence of YB Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia. The text of the agreement was initialled by the chief negotiators, YBhg. Dato’ Ilango Karuppannan for Malaysia and H.E. Ranieri Sabatucci for the European Union (EU). H.E. Mr. Luc Vandebon, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Malaysia, Senior Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General’s Chambers were also present.

The MEUPCA provides an overarching strategic political framework for strengthening Malaysia-EU bilateral cooperation.  Since the negotiations of MEUPCA commenced in October 2010, 11 rounds of negotiations had been held in Putrajaya and Brussels on a rotational basis. Malaysia and the EU successfully concluded the negotiations during the final round which was held on 7-8 December 2015 in Brussels.

The MEUPCA encompasses 60 articles covering a broad field of common interest in economic and non-economic sectors for Malaysia and the EU. It serves as a catalyst to the strengthening of bilateral relations between Malaysia and the EU and the enhancement of cooperation in wide-ranging areas including political relations, trade and investment, energy, transport, agriculture, finance, maritime affairs and other areas through dialogue and exchanges of information.

The MEUPCA is also an umbrella agreement that will provide the impetus in concluding other specific bilateral agreements. In particular, it will enable both sides to pursue Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA) negotiations. The MEUFTA would give access for Malaysian products and services in the EU’s huge market base. Malaysia will also benefit from capacity building programmes, the sharing of best practices and knowledge transfer in the areas of science and technology, green technology, environment, education and health.

The text of the agreement will be translated into Bahasa Malaysia and 23 other European languages. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and his EU counterpart will formally sign the MEUPCA at a mutually agreed date and venue.

MAJLIS PEMARAPAN PERJANJIAN RANGKA KERJA PERKONGSIAN DAN KERJASAMA DI ANTARA KERAJAAN MALAYSIA DAN KESATUAN EROPAH (MEUPCA)

6 APRIL 2016

Malaysia dan Kesatuan Eropah telah memarap Perjanjian Rangka Kerja Perkongsian dan Kerjasama (MEUPCA) pada 6 April 2016 di Putrajaya. Sesi pemarapan tersebut telah disaksikan oleh YB Dato' Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Timbalan Menteri Luar Negeri Malaysia. Teks perjanjian tersebut telah diparapi oleh Ketua Perunding Malaysia, YBhg. Dato’ Ilango Karuppannan dan Ketua Perunding Kesatuan Eropah (EU), TYT Ranieri Sabatucci. Majlis tersebut juga turut dihadiri oleh TYT Luc Vandebon, Duta Besar Delegasi EU ke Malaysia, Pegawai-pegawai Kanan Kementerian Luar Negeri dan Jabatan Peguam Negara.

MEUPCA menyediakan satu rangka kerja politik yang strategik dan menyeluruh dalam mengukuhkan kerjasama dua hala di antara Malaysia dan EU. Sejak rundingan MEUPCA bermula pada bulan Oktober 2010, 11 pusingan rundingan telah diadakan di Putrajaya dan Brussels secara bergilir-gilir. Malaysia dan EU telah berjaya memuktamadkan rundingan pada pusingan terakhir yang telah diadakan pada 7 hingga 8 Disember 2015 di Brussels.

MEUPCA merangkumi 60 artikel yang meliputi pelbagai bidang berkepentingan bersama dalam sektor ekonomi dan bukan ekonomi bagi Malaysia dan EU. Ia berfungsi sebagai pemangkin kepada pengukuhan hubungan dua hala di antara Malaysia dan EU dan peningkatan kerjasama dalam pelbagai bidang termasuk hubungan politik, perdagangan dan pelaburan, tenaga, pengangkutan, pertanian, kewangan, hal ehwal maritim dan bidang-bidang lain melalui dialog dan pertukaran maklumat.

MEUPCA juga merupakan satu perjanjian induk yang akan mendorong pemuktamadan perjanjian dua hala spesifik yang lain. Khususnya, ia akan membolehkan kedua-dua pihak untuk meneruskan rundingan Perjanjian Perdagangan Bebas Malaysia-EU (MEUFTA). MEUFTA akan memberikan akses kepada produk dan perkhidmatan Malaysia dalam pasaran EU yang besar. Malaysia juga akan mendapat manfaat melalui program pembangunan kapasiti, perkongsian amalan terbaik dan pertukaran ilmu dalam bidang sains dan teknologi, teknologi hijau, alam sekitar, pendidikan dan kesihatan.