Page 447 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

CHAPTER 14 Article 14.3: Cooperation

SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES The Parties shall strengthen their cooperation under this Chapter, which
may include:

Article 14.1: Objectives (a) encouraging efficient and effective implementation of
facilitative and transparent trade rules and regulations;
1. The Parties recognise that small and medium enterprises,
including micro enterprises, contribute significantly to economic (b) improving small and medium enterprises’ access to
growth, employment, and innovation, and therefore seek to markets and participation in global value chains, including
promote information sharing and cooperation in increasing the by promoting and facilitating partnerships among
ability of small and medium enterprises to utilise and benefit from businesses;
the opportunities created by this Agreement.
(c) promoting the use of electronic commerce by small and
2. The Parties acknowledge the provisions of various Chapters in medium enterprises;
this Agreement that contribute to encouraging and facilitating the
participation of small and medium enterprises in this Agreement. (d) exploring opportunities for exchanges of experiences
among Parties’ entrepreneurial programmes;

Article 14.2: Information Sharing (e) encouraging innovation and use of technology;

1. Each Party shall promote the sharing of information related to this (f) promoting awareness, understanding, and effective use of
Agreement that is relevant to small and medium enterprises, the intellectual property system among small and medium
including through the establishment and maintenance of a enterprises;
publicly accessible information platform, and information
exchange to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices (g) promoting good regulatory practices and building capacity
among the Parties. in formulating regulations, policies, and programmes that
contribute to small and medium enterprise development;
2. The information to be made publicly accessible in accordance and
with paragraph 1 will include:
(h) sharing best practices on enhancing the capability and
(a) the full text of this Agreement; competitiveness of small and medium enterprises.

(b) information on trade and investment-related laws and
regulations that the Party considers relevant to small and Article 14.4: Contact Points
medium enterprises; and
Each Party shall, within 30 days of the date of entry into force of this
(c) additional business-related information that the Party Agreement for that Party, designate one or more contact points to
considers useful for small and medium enterprises facilitate cooperation and information sharing under this Chapter and
interested in benefitting from the opportunities provided by notify the other Parties of the contact details of that contact point or those
this Agreement. contact points. Each Party shall notify the other Parties of any change
to those contact details.
3. Each Party shall take reasonable steps to ensure that information
referred to in paragraph 2 is accurate and up-to-date.

14-1 14-2