GIZ is a federally owned enterprise and is supporting the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.

There are currently insufficient regulations in ASEAN for the integration and operationalisation of trade-related aspects of the circular economy. Despite the existence of the circular economy framework in ASEAN and the plans to integrate circular economy aspects into ATIGA, the relevant actors lack a common understanding of cross-sectoral cooperation. This leads to insufficient consideration of trade-related circular economy issues in regional agreements such as the ATIGA, ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint post-2025, or sectoral work plans. Actors, both at the regional level (ASEAN Secretariat and relevant working groups) and at the national level, do not have sufficient capacities and knowledge to promote the implementation of trade-related aspects for the circular economy (core problem). This Technical Assistance module addresses this core problem by enabling the actors in relevant ASEAN bodies (especially the CCA) to develop proposals for agreements on trade-related aspects of a circular economy. It also increases the capacities in AMS to promote a circular economy and strengthens the integration of the needs of the private sector. The module objective is therefore: Trade-related aspects of circular economy are operationalised by relevant public and private sector actors in the ASEAN region.

The regulatory framework for the integration of trade-related aspects in the circular economy is not sufficiently developed at either the ASEAN or the national level. Despite the interest of the AMS in creating good framework conditions for a circular economy, the capacities, especially in the smaller AMS, are not sufficient to develop regional and national guidelines without support.