About

This APEC cross-fora project aims to make services regulation and policy reform in favour of openness a central focus of APEC’s structural reform agenda.

In June 2021, APEC’s Economic Committee (EC) was tasked by Ministers at the Structural Reform Ministers Meeting (SRMM) to coordinate the implementation of the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR, 2021-2025) including greater structural reform efforts in the services sectors. A mid-term review was completed in 2023.

Separately, the mid-term review of the APEC Services Competitiveness Roadmap (ASCR, 2016-2025), endorsed by Ministers in the joint AMM statement in November 2021, called for services regulation and policy reform in favour of openness to be a central focus of APEC’s structural reform agenda, including in relation to:

consistency with APEC non-binding Principles for Domestic Regulation of the Services Sector;
regulatory challenges dealing with digitalization and automation;
regulatory inefficiency and obstacles to establishing a commercial presence

The mid-term review of the ASCR also recommended greater cross-fora collaboration to advance the Roadmap’s objectives. These ministerial directives were brought together to form a joint APEC project on Services and Structural Reform.

Learning

Key messages and takeaways from Services and Structural Reform experts across the Asia Pacific.

Research

Research documentation published under the Service and Structural Reform Project.

Events

A number of events have been held to build capacity, increase understanding of relevant APEC fora, and built momentum for a further work program.