High Representative/Vice-President Kallas, in a written answer on 10 July 2026, defended the EU's strategy of continued engagement with Vietnam on human rights, rejecting calls from a group of European Conservatives and Reformists MEPs to suspend the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) over alleged serious violations. The answer, responding to a question led by Nicolas Bay (ECR), signals the Commission's preference for dialogue over sanctions, prioritising the recently upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (January 2026) as a framework to press for reforms.
The answer contains no concrete proposals, numerical targets, or deadlines. Instead, it reiterates existing mechanisms: the annual EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, the Domestic Advisory Group under the EVFTA, and advocacy for ratification of ILO Convention 87. On the question of using the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against those responsible for extraterritorial abductions, Kallas offers no commitment, merely stating the EU 'will consider the mechanisms provided therein, where necessary.' The tone is deliberately non-confrontational, avoiding any trigger of the PCA's suspension clause.
The Commission leans toward diplomatic persuasion and trade-linked conditionality rather than punitive measures. This approach favours business continuity for European exporters and investors in Vietnam, who benefit from tariff preferences under the EVFTA, while human rights advocates may see it as insufficiently robust. The answer implicitly prioritises economic and strategic partnership over immediate human rights enforcement.
No specific timeline is given. The next annual Human Rights Dialogue will be the key venue for assessing progress. The Commission is likely to continue monitoring and reporting through existing EVFTA structures, with any escalation dependent on a significant deterioration of the human rights situation.