Agree to submit to the National Assembly for approval 2 trade and investment agreements with the EU at the 9th session

Examining the Government's Proposal on the proposal to ratify the EVFTA Agreement, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Nguyen Van Giau said that the EVFTA Agreement has a high political commitment, consistent with the policy and road. the external relations of our Party and State and have a positive impact on the socio-economic development of the country.

The Agreement does not require member countries to complete the national legislation before ratification.

Therefore, the External Relations Committee proposed the Standing Committee to unanimously submit to the National Assembly for approval at 1 session and at the 9th session, the XIV National Assembly. Regarding bilateral trade relations with the UK after the Brexit Agreement: Recommendation to the National Assembly upon ratification of EVFTA, the Agreement will also apply to the UK until the end of the transition period on December 31, 2020 and may be extended. up to 24 months, in accordance with the Brexit Agreement.

Assigned the Government to actively promote the negotiation and signing of a bilateral free trade agreement with the UK on the basis of inheriting the EVFTA Agreement with appropriate technical adjustments and ensuring benefits for both sides to apply. To replace EVFTA when the transition period ends, according to the provisions of the 2016 International Treaty Law.

Assign the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to coordinate with relevant branches to submit amendments to the Trade Union Law to ensure progress in response to commitments in CPTPP, EVFTA and in accordance with the Labor Code 2019.

For the Government, continue to quantify the impact of EVFTA on sectors, additionally assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Agreement and the severe impacts of the pandemic, and propose measures fit.

Detailed list of 13 commitments and groups of commitments applied directly at the time of entry into force of the Agreement, and at the same time, compared with the corresponding provisions of Vietnam's current laws to create facilitate the implementation process.

Continue to review the system of legal documents, actively take advantage of and maximize the benefits that the Agreement brings. Propose policies to support those affected by the Agreement. Deployed to join the 1958 UNECE Agreement and other international treaties as committed in the Agreement.

Agreeing with the EU on the date of entry into force of the Agreement in the spirit of bringing the Agreement to the earliest implementation, in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement and the laws of each party, in order to take advantage of opportunities for Vietnam's export goods, reducing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy in recent years.

To formulate and implement propaganda and dissemination schemes to branches, levels, businesses and people before the Agreement takes effect. Completing questionnaires and answers on the Agreement to the National Assembly deputies for study, reference at the 9th meeting. Detailed the Implementation Plan of the Agreement, actively taking advantage of opportunities and overcoming challenges. , minimize negative impacts, bring the highest benefits for the country.

Regarding the EVIPA Agreement, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Nguyen Van Giau affirmed: The EVIPA Agreement, separated from the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EVFTA), was approved by the Council. Europe was approved on June 25, 2019 and signed by representatives of the Parties on June 30, 2019 in Hanoi.

Under Article 4.13, the EVIPA Agreement will officially enter into force on the first day of the second month after the Parties notify each other of the completion of their internal legal procedures. Specifically, on the part of the European Union (EU), the EVIPA Agreement must be ratified by both the European Parliament and each Parliament of 27 member countries.

On February 12, 2020, the European Parliament ratified both EVFTA and EVIPA Agreements and as of April 17, 2020, two member countries completed the ratification of the EVIPA Agreement, Hungary (December 23 / 2019) and the Czech Republic (February 13, 2020).

According to the report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ratification of other member countries is expected to take no less than 2 years. On the Vietnamese side, based on the 2013 Constitution, the 2016 Law of International Treaties, the EVIPA Agreement is an international treaty in the name of the State, which affects the basic policies of the nation on foreign affairs, national defense, security, socio-economic development, finance, currency, and therefore subject to the National Assembly's ratification.

Most of the opinions endorsed the need to submit to the National Assembly for approval of the EVIPA Agreement at the same time as the EVFTA Agreement. Regarding politics and foreign affairs, together with EVFTA, joining EVIPA is consistent with the Party's and State's guidelines and policies on international integration, contributing to enhance Vietnam's prestige and position in the international arena. .

The fact that the Vietnamese National Assembly will ratify the EVIPA Agreement concurrently with the EVFTA Agreement at the 9th meeting will increase credibility, creating an important premise for EU member countries to complete the internal legal procedures early. EVIPA Agreement comes into effect.

In addition to the above-mentioned opportunities, the EVIPA Agreement also presents a number of challenges for Vietnamese businesses under foreign investors' competitive pressure; requirements on perfecting institutions and legal systems; improve the capacity of the contingent of civil servants, lawyers, and businesses to deal with possible investment disputes.

There is an opinion that the National Assembly needs to coordinate and support to promote the Parliament of EU member countries to ratify the EVIPA Agreement early, considering this as an important task of the foreign affairs of the National Assembly in the coming time.

It is also suggested that Vietnam's ratification of the EVIPA Agreement while the ratification of EU member states may be prolonged. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on coordination, there are solutions to promote ratification of the countries so that the Agreement can take effect soon. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the previously signed Vietnam-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) also follows the same procedures and procedures similar to EVIPA.

In addition, it is necessary to reaffirm that one party to the EVIPA Agreement is the EU itself and the EU member states, in which the European Parliament approved the Agreement on February 12, 2020. In the event that after the National Assembly of Vietnam ratifies the Agreement and EU member states have delayed ratifying EVIPA, it may lead to certain effects in investment cooperation, but it is not significant because Vietnam has signed. and applying bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements with 21 EU member countries.

Basically, EVIPA is uniform, so it has a wider scope of adjustment, higher standards than each bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement between Vietnam and EU member states.

The compliance with the order and procedures for proposing the approval, the order and procedures for approving the EVIPA Agreement comply with the provisions of Clause 14, Article 70 and Clause 6, Article 88 of the 2013 Constitution; Article 18, Article 78 of the 2014 Law on Organization of the National Assembly and other relevant provisions of the 2016 Law on International Agreements.

Dossiers attached to the State President's Proposal to submit to the National Assembly for approval of the EVIPA Agreement ensure the provisions of Article 31 of the 2016 International Treaty Law regarding the dossier of submission for ratification of a treaty.

Some comments said that it is necessary to supplement the assessment of the impact of the EVIPA Agreement on Vietnam in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting many countries, changing the global supply chain; The impact assessment report focuses much on positive impacts, needs to assess negative impacts, in order to create understanding and awareness for businesses and people to be proactive in all situations, especially applying competitiveness for Vietnamese businesses; It is expected that the implementation plan should detail the details, specific roadmap, timelines and clarify the responsibilities of the relevant agencies.

The Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee proposed to the CPV to agree to submit to the National Assembly for approval of the EVIPA Agreement at 1 session and at the 9th session of the XIV National Assembly.

Giving opinions on the policy of promulgating the National Assembly's Resolution on recognition and enforcement of final decisions of the dispute settlement agency established under the EVIPA Agreement together with the dossier submitted to the National Assembly for approval of the EVIPA Agreement. Strengthen parliamentary cooperation with EU member states to promote ratification of the EVIPA Agreement.

For the Government, soon complete the documents submitted to the National Assembly, updated impact assessment reports according to the actual situation, clarifying the negative impacts; Specific and detailed implementation plan of EVIPA Agreement, ensuring obligations and commitments are fully implemented, limiting the arising of disputes and lawsuits to which Vietnam is the defendant; formulating question and answer sets to provide for National Assembly deputies to study and use in the 9th session.

Prepare content to report to the National Assembly on issues: The recognition and enforcement of decisions of the dispute settlement agency under the EVIPA Agreement, with a specific roadmap; Negative effects may arise as a result of recognizing judgments such as the effective judgments of Vietnamese courts in lawsuits against which the EU is the defendant within 5 years of the date of entry into force of the Agreement.

Continue to review and complete relevant legal documents; formulating propaganda and popularization projects to branches, levels, businesses and people before the Agreement takes effect; adopt supportive policies to improve the capacity and competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises; improve the capacity of staff to be ready to deal with disputes arising under the framework of the Agreement, protecting the country's legitimate rights and interests.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien raised the opinion of the TVQH early for comments approving 2 of this Agreement.

“I propose that, before the National Assembly, the Government and the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee also need to explain clearly to the National Assembly deputies to better understand the challenges and how to compete, for example, the field of competition in agriculture. How is the industry, the impact of domestic goods, technical barriers of Europe, of countries on the quality of goods …

Issues of labor organization in enterprises, competition issues of major countries. Obviously if there is competition, there will be opportunities for us to develop, ”said Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien.

“Particularly for the issue of international arbitral awards, this is an important issue, the TVQH needs a separate resolution,” Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien commented.

According to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Mr. Uong Chu Luu, commenting on the two agreements expresses Vietnam's will to participate in international treaties and treaties. “We need to forecast and anticipate the difficulties and challenges posed when participating in these two agreements,” Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu said.

Concluding the Meeting, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong affirmed: It is very important for the CPV to comment on the submission to the National Assembly for approval of the EVFTA Agreement and the EVIPA Agreement. The documents, order and procedures of these 2 Agreements are complete, showing the Party's views on international integration.

The success in negotiating these two Agreements is not only for the negotiating delegation and for the great contributions of the leaders of the Party, State, Government and National Assembly. The TVQH agreed to submit to the National Assembly for approval of these 2 Agreements at the 9th meeting. The TVQH agreed with the President's Statement and the Government's explanation will be presented to the National Assembly.

According to VNA