Environmental Commitments Under the Evfta: Vietnam's Efforts to Incorporate them into Domestic Law and Challenges in Improving its Legal Framework

Abstract

The European Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) contains numerous commitments on environmental protection and sustainable development, requiring trade and investment activities to be aligned with economic, social, and environmental objectives. This article provides an overview of the environmental commitments under the EVFTA, thereby highlighting the need for Vietnam to place greater emphasis on compliance with environmental protection and sustainable development requirements, as well as the measures that the State should undertake to address existing difficulties. Based on a review of the current legal framework, the author finds that the EVFTA's environmental commitments are generally consistent with Vietnam's efforts and policy orientations concerning environmental protection and climate change response. However, given the broad scope and demanding nature of these commitments, Vietnam is unlikely to achieve full compliance within a short period. The article therefore proposes that Vietnam continue improving its legal framework to ensure coherence, transparency, feasibility, and compatibility with international obligations, while strengthening institutional and implementation capacity to ensure the effective implementation of the EVFTA.