The European Union and Singapore Launch Digital Partnership

In a statement released on February 1, 2023, the European Union ("EU") and Singapore strengthened their cooperation as strategic partners. Following the announcement of a new Digital Partnership between the EU and Singapore. The Digital Partnership aims to facilitate the free flow of goods and services in the digital economy while upholding privacy and will promote digital cooperation between the EU and Singapore, on a variety of areas. These include:

• Enhance research cooperation in cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and semiconductors;
• Promote cooperation in regulatory approaches, such as in the field of AI and Electronic Identification (eID);
• Foster investments in resilient and sustainable digital infrastructures, including data centres and submarine telecommunications cables for connectivity between the EU and Southeast Asia;
• Ensure trusted cross-border data flows in compliance with data protection rules and other public policy objectives;
• Promote information exchange and cooperation in the field of cybersecurity;
• Build alliances in international organisations and standardisation fora; and
• Facilitate digital trade, including by working towards joint projects such as paperless trading, electronic invoicing, electronic payments, and electronic transactions framework.

Singapore has also concluded negotiations on digital economy agreements with Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Britain and South Korea.