On 12 September 2013, the European Commission announced that a new round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations will take place in Thailand 16-20 September. Discussions will build on the areas developed during the first round and include goods, rules of origin, services and investment, public procurement, competition, intellectual property, trade remedies, and trade and sustainable development. The first round of negotiations took place on 27-31 May in Brussels and ended on a positive note with both sides reiterating their commitment to conclude a comprehensive FTA. Trade between the EU and Thailand in 2012 reached nearly €32 billion. See the Joint Statement from the first round here.