Airlangga Visits Belgium to Push for IEU-CEPA Ratification Completion by 2026
The Indonesian government is accelerating the completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA). The ratification process is expected to be finalised according to the target, which is the second semester of 2026.
“We are targeting the IEU-CEPA ratification process to be completed in the second half of 2026 so that implementation can begin in early 2027,” stated the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, in a press release. This was conveyed during his meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic as part of the Brussels Economic Security Forum in Brussels, Belgium, last weekend.
This completion serves as a strategic step to expand market access, increase trade, and strengthen investment cooperation between Indonesia and the European Union. Both parties agreed to encourage the completion of various necessary stages to ensure the ratification process proceeds according to schedule. Discussions also covered follow-up steps ahead of the upcoming visits to Jakarta by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
Currently, IEU-CEPA is a vital instrument in strengthening the economic relationship between Indonesia and the European Union. Therefore, completing the ratification process is a priority so that the benefits of the agreement can be immediately felt by businesses on both sides. One of the primary benefits of implementing IEU-CEPA will be the removal of trade tariffs on approximately 98 per cent of tariff lines.
For Indonesia, the agreement will open wider market access to the European Union through zero-percent tariff facilities for most national export products, which is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the European market and support national export growth.
In addition to discussing IEU-CEPA, Minister Airlangga and Commissioner Maros also discussed the EU’s Global Gateway programme, which is aimed at supporting various strategic projects, including investment and the development of the critical minerals sector. Cooperation in this sector holds great prospects, given that Indonesia is accelerating its natural resource downstreaming programme to increase domestic value-add, while the European Union requires a supply of strategic minerals to support the energy transition and the development of green technology industries.
“We also discussed investment cooperation opportunities through various strategic programmes, including the development of the critical minerals sector, which is a point of interest for both parties,” said Airlangga.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of Indonesia and the European Union to continue strengthening a mutually beneficial economic partnership. The completion of the IEU-CEPA ratification in the second half of 2026 is expected to be a significant milestone for enhancing economic relations between the two regions and supporting the full implementation of the agreement in early 2027.