ECONOMIC NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN INDONESIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION: NAVIGATING CONFLICT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREEN DEAL EU
ECONOMIC NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN INDONESIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION: NAVIGATING CONFLICT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREEN DEAL EU

Author(s): Shary Charlotte Henriette PATTIPEILHY
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Governance, Economic policy, Environmental and Energy policy, International relations/trade, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development, Geopolitics
Published by: Presa Universitara Clujeana
Keywords: European Green Deal; Green protectionism; Climate justice; Global trade governance; Indonesia–EU negotiations
Summary/Abstract: The European Green Deal (EGD), launched by the European Union (EU) in 2019, represents an ambitious strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and reposition the EU as a normative leader in global sustainability governance. The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is central to this agenda, which aims to eliminate deforestation-linked commodities from the EU market. However, the EUDR has generated significant controversy among major commodity-exporting countries, particularly Indonesia, which perceives the regulation as a manifestation of green protectionism and a threat to equitable global trade relations. This study critically examines Indonesia’s economic negotiation strategies in response to the EUDR, exploring how Indonesia navigates the structural asymmetries inherent in global governance frameworks dominated by Global North actors. Employing a qualitative single-case study design, the research integrates Green Politics theory, Climate Justice perspectives, and Global Governance analyses. Data were collected through document and critical discourse analysis of government reports, WTO submissions, EU policy texts, and international media sources. The findings reveal that Indonesia has developed a multifaceted response strategy combining bilateral diplomatic engagement, litigation through multilateral mechanisms such as the WTO, and diversification of export markets toward the Global South. Nevertheless, Indonesia faces formidable challenges, including entrenched power asymmetries, contested definitions of sustainability, reputational stigmatization of its key commodities, and internal policy fragmentation. The study argues that the EUDR exemplifies how sustainability initiatives, when imposed unilaterally, risk exacerbating global inequalities rather than fostering an inclusive green transition. It calls for the EU to recalibrate its negotiation practices by embracing inclusive consultations, differentiated responsibilities, and multilateral dialogue to avoid perpetuating normative imperialism. This research contributes to scholarly debates on trade diplomacy, environmental governance, and climate justice, offering critical insights into the strategies available for developing countries to assert agency in the evolving landscape of global green regulation.

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