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Towards an EU-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement
In January 2025, the EU and Malaysia announced the resumption of negotiations for a comprehensive and modern Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The EU is negotiating an FTA with Malaysia with the objective of facilitating and creating new market access, increasing trade and investment between the EU and Malaysia, and promoting sustainable development.
Negotiations for an EU-Malaysia trade and investment agreement were launched in 2010 and put on hold in 2012. On 20 January 2025, the EU and Malaysia announced the resumption of negotiations, with the first round taking place in late June 2025.
The EU aims for a comprehensive and modern FTA with Malaysia that includes:
- Ambitious market access for goods, services, investment and government procurement;
- the removal of obstacles to digital trade and trade in energy and raw materials, thereby supporting the digital and green transitions;
- swift and effective sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) procedures;
- sustainable food systems (SFS);
- the protection of intellectual property rights including Geographical Indications (GIs), and;
- robust and enforceable disciplines on trade and sustainable development (TSD): in line with the Commission’s TSD review Communication of June 2022, supporting high levels of protection for workers’ rights, for the environment, and the achievement of ambitious climate goals.
Latest news
A statement from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the re-launch of negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and Malaysia.
In a ruling published today, the World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld the EU’s ability to take environmental and climate-based action under the Renewable Energy Directive (‘RED II’).
In a ruling published on 5 March 2024, the World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld the EU’s ability to take environmental and climate-based action under the Renewable Energy Directive (‘RED II’).