Vietnam’s Implementation of Labour Provisions in the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement: Recent Developments and Insights - Legal Issues of Economic Integration View Vietnam’s Implementation of Labour Provisions in the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement: Recent Developments and Insights by - Legal Issues of Economic Integration Vietnam’s Implementation of Labour Provisions in the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement: Recent Developments and Insights 52 1

Labour provisions in the European Union – Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) play a critical role in labour reform in Viet Nam. After four years in effect, Vietnam has made concerted efforts to implement labour commitments in EVFTA, yielding concrete results in fulfilment of labour obligations, arrangement of institutions and preparation for a dispute settlement mechanism. Vietnam’s revised 2019 labour code has been in force, bringing significant reforms to the working conditions. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement, particularly in operating grassroots representative organizations and accelerating the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention No. 87. This article will first summarize recent developments in implementation of labour provisions in EU’s FTAs. It will then briefly analyse labour provisions of EVFTA in comparison with other labour provisions in the EU’s FTAs. Finally, the article will review Vietnam’s progress in fulfilling EVFTA labour commitments aligning with contemporary approaches, and offer suggestions for further compliance.

Legal Issues of Economic Integration