Based on the work conducted within the framework of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the EU and Singapore established a Digital Partnership following their announcement in December 2022 at the EU-ASEAN summit. On February 1 and 3, 2023, the European Commission published the Digital Partnership and Digital Trade Principles which will facilitate the free flow of goods and services in the digital economy but still uphold privacy. 

The partnership will bring the affect to varied areas

In general, this partnership may concern varied areas in the digital industry, including semiconductors, trusted data flows and data innovation, digital trust, standards, digital trade facilitation, digital skills for workers, and the digital transformation of businesses and public services. The partnership focuses on e-identification, AI governance. It’ll expectedly enhance their cooperation in tech research, regulatory approaches, support of investigation in resilient and sustainable digital infrastructures, cybersecurity, ensuring the compliance of transnational data transfer with data protection principles, building international organisations and standardisation fora, and facilitating digital trade. 

Proposals in the Partnership Principles

In detail, the Partnership Principles highlight the proposal of standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures (STRACAP). Their greater clarity may help reduce the barriers to digital trade by increasing compatibility, interoperability and reliability. Interestingly, the proposal is based on six principles of the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Committee, namely transparency, openness, impartiality and consensus, effectiveness and relevance, coherence, and the development dimension. They aim to support an open, free, and fair environment in the digital age. 

Data free flow government

Finally, regarding the data free flow, both parties promote the common principles for trusted government access to personal data held in the private sector. Thus, it may provide transparency and legal certainty and support to transfer data amongst jurisdictions by commercial entities with consequently positive economic and social impacts. 

For the full text: 

Digital Partnership: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/eu-singapore-digital-partnership

Partnership Principles: EU-Singapore Digital Partnership Digital Trade Principles …https://www.mti.gov.sg › MTI › DEAs › EUSDP

More about Singapore on AstraIA Gear: https://www.astraiagear.com/2023/01/11/update-on-cryptocurrency-in-the-uk-eu-us-and-singapore/