EU-ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL (EU-ABC)

The EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) is the primary voice for European Business within the ASEAN region. The overarching objective of the EU-ABC is to promote changes in policies, rules and regulations so that European businesses can more easily invest and develop their businesses in ASEAN, benefiting not only their own shareholders but local economies and populations as well.

Formally established and constituted in early 2014, the EU-ABC has existed on an informal basis since 2011, successfully organising several ASEAN-EU Business Summits and regularly interacting with the European Commission, ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Secretariat, and other related organisations such as the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

The EU-ABC’s membership consists of large European MNCs and the nine European Chambers of Commerce from around Southeast Asia. As such, the EU-ABC represents a diverse range of European industries cutting across almost every commercial sphere from car manufacturing through to financial services and including FMCG and high-end electronics and communications. Members all have a vested interest in enhancing trade, commerce and investment between Europe and ASEAN.

The overarching objective of the EU-ABC is to promote changes in policies, rules and regulations so that European businesses can more easily invest and develop their businesses in the region to the benefit of the local economies and populations as well as their own shareholders.

The EU-ASEAN Business Council aims to:

1. Advocate for European business interests in the ASEAN region;
2. Push for the reduction and eventual elimination of barriers to trade (both tariffs and Non-Tariff Barriers);
3. Facilitate trade and investment between Europe and ASEAN;
4. Collaborate and interact with the ASEAN Secretariat and other related bodies;
5. Contribute to and promote pan-ASEAN economic integration; and
6. Support the establishment of an EU-ASEAN free trade agreement, and FTAs between the EU and ASEAN Member States in the meantime.

To support this overall mission, the EU-ABC has established, and continues to develop, a series of Advocacy Groups covering both individual commercial sectors (e.g. Automotive; Insurance; Digital/ICT; Healthcare) and cross-industry issues (e.g. IPR/Illicit Trade; Human Capital; Customs Procedures & Trade Facilitation). These Advocacy Groups are made up from leading MNCs in each area plus representatives from the Committees from the European Chamber of Commerce membership. This approach ensures a broad-based approach to raising and handling issues that face industries and inhibit the ability of businesses to trade and invest.

Members

1. Aegon
2. Allianz
3. Aon
4. Asia Group Advisors
5. Axa
6. BASF
7. Bayer
8. BDO
9. BMW Group
10. Bosch
11. BT Group
12. Commerzbank
13. Daimler
14. Deutsche Post DHL Group
15. Estin & Co
16. Generali Group
17. GlaxoSmithKline
18. HSBC
19. Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
20. ING
21. JTI
22. KPMG
23. Michelin Group
24. Nestlé
25. Pernod Ricard
26. Philip Morris International
27. Prudential Corporation
28. PwC
29. Roche
30. Sanofi
31. SAP
32. Schaeffler
33. Swift
34. Swiss Re
35. Unilever
36. Zurich Insurance

European Chambers

1. EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2. European Association for Business and Commerce (Thailand)
3. European Business Chamber of Commerce Indonesia
4. European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lao PDR
5. European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia
6. European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar
7. European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
8. European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines
9. European Chamber of Commerce Singapore