On 2 July 2025, Mrs. Krongkanit Rakcharoen, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, and Ms. Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service (EEAS), co-chaired the first Thailand-EU Joint Committee (JC) Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

Both sides welcomed the first meeting of the Thailand-EU Joint Committee, established under the Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that has been provisionally applied since 20 October 2024 to enhance closer Thailand-EU relations and cooperation in all dimensions.

The Meeting highlighted their shared commitment to advancing a reliable and trusted Thailand-EU partnership amidst geopolitical tensions and global economic turbulence, and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest and benefits, namely the speedy conclusion of the Thai-EU FTA negotiations, security cooperation on combatting transnational crimes and online scams, sustainable development, climate action, environment, green transition, education and science, technology and innovation, areas to which Thailand places great emphasis. The EU also took note of Thailand’s request on Schengen visa exemption for Thai ordinary passport holders. In addition, both sides exchanged views on regional and global issues.

Director-General of European Affairs and Deputy Managing Director for the Asia and the Pacific signed the Decisions adopting the Joint Committee’s Rules of Procedure and establishing the 3 specialised working groups on (1) human rights and governance; (2) trade and investment, and (3) sustainable development and green transition to support the work of the Joint Committee to achieve tangible and mutually-beneficial outcomes. Thailand will host the 2nd Thailand-EU Joint Committee Meeting in 2026 in Bangkok.