Airlangga targets European investment through EU-CEPA
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has said the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-CEPA) could be a game changer for the Indonesian economy.
One of the opportunities being pursued by the government is the entry of investment from European Union countries. According to Airlangga, EU-CEPA will expand Indonesia’s market access to Europe. Around 90 percent of Indonesia’s tariff lines will be reduced to zero percent immediately after the agreement enters into force. The remainder will be lowered gradually.
“This is a game changer for Indonesia,” Airlangga said during a meeting with EU ambassadors to Indonesia at Graha Sawala Kemenko, Central Jakarta, on Friday, 21 August 2026.
Airlangga said the benefits of the agreement do not stop at trade. The government hopes EU-CEPA can open up new investment potential from Europe.
The European Union, he said, is one of Indonesia’s investment partners across various sectors. Recent visits by a number of business delegations from European countries to Indonesia, according to Airlangga, demonstrate interest in capitalising on these opportunities.
He noted that business delegations from Germany and France have already visited Indonesia. “With the ratification of this agreement, it will unlock the investment potential that will enter Indonesia,” Airlangga said.
The government is targeting EU-CEPA to be signed in October. Once signed and ratified by both parties, the government will implement the implementing regulations that have been prepared.
Several sectors are of particular focus in this cooperation, including renewable energy, the digital economy, cybersecurity, and agriculture. Airlangga said Europe’s strengths in manufacturing, innovation, and technology can provide opportunities for Indonesia to expand economic cooperation.
For Airlangga, cooperation between Indonesia and Europe is not a new economic relationship. Trade relations between the two parties have been ongoing for centuries. Now, the government wants that relationship to develop into a more equal partnership that delivers benefits for the people of both Indonesia and the European Union.