Singapore and the EU sign Digital Partnership: Allen & Gledhill

27 February 2023

On 1 February 2023, Singapore and the European Union (“EU”) signed the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership (“EUSDP”).

The EUSDP is an overarching framework for all areas of bilateral digital cooperation between the EU and Singapore. These include core issues in the cross-border digital economy such as digital trade facilitation, trusted data flows, electronic payments, and standards and conformance, as well as new and emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (“AI”), digital identities, and 5G/6G. The EUSDP will also support and enable broader participation in the digital economy through cooperation on digital upskilling for workers, and the digital transformation of businesses and public services.

Cooperation areas include:

Digital trade: Singapore and the EU have established a set of Digital Trade Principles as the first deliverable under the EUSDP. Both sides will also develop pilot projects in the digitalisation and recognition of trade administration and commercial documents, as well as e-invoicing to enable more seamless transactions and reduced cost for businesses.
Data flows: To support trusted cross-border data flows and data sharing, Singapore and the EU will work on the application of model data protection contracts and provide guidance for their use, and exchange information on the infrastructure and governance frameworks needed to facilitate data sharing.
Digitalisation in the financial sector: Singapore and the EU will exchange information and share best practices on digital finance developments.
Standards and conformance: To encourage the adoption of internationally recognised standards relating to the digital economy, Singapore and the EU will exchange information and explore projects to enhance the understanding of standards for the digital economy. Both sides will also cooperate on promoting common standards globally, including in emerging technology areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and digital identities.
AI: To support the deployment of AI, Singapore and the EU will encourage interoperability on AI governance, standards, and testing frameworks. Both sides will also explore cooperation on AI testbeds and research collaboration on AI.
Digital identities: To enable the use of digital identities for more seamless digital transactions, Singapore and the EU will identify and implement use cases for the use of electronic signatures and digital identities, with a view to promoting compatibility and interoperability.
5G and beyond 5G technologies: To drive the development and uptake of 5G and beyond 5G technologies, Singapore and the EU will explore use cases and possible cooperation on research and development pilots.