Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 09:16 AM UTC

I-EU CEPA deal still faces language hurdles: Trade Minister

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Maria Galuh, Kuntum Khaira

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EU CEPA) is still facing hurdles on the European Union's side, including over the language to be used in the agreement.

Santoso said Indonesia had essentially completed the parts of the agreement under its responsibility. Discussions are now continuing within the European Union before the agreement can be signed.

"The agreement we want to sign is in Indonesian and English. But, perhaps they have not yet agreed on whether Indonesian and English are sufficient or whether it needs to be translated into all languages," he said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Santoso said discussions over the language issue had begun to show progress, expressing hope the European Union would agree to use Indonesian and English so the signing of the I-EU CEPA would not be delayed further.

"There was some indication of that yesterday. Hopefully, Indonesian and English will be sufficient," he said.

Santoso said he was targeting the signing of the I-EU CEPA by the end of October 2026.

The government would then accelerate the ratification process, so that the trade agreement between Indonesia and the European Union could take effect in January 2027.

"If it is completed by the end of September, we will accelerate the ratification. Hopefully, it will be completed by the end of December, so that it can take effect in January," he said.

The government is expediting the completion of the I-EU CEPA partly to anticipate the expiration of the European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) facility at the end of 2026.

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