The APEC Economic Committee (EC) promotes structural reform and strengthens APEC's capability in the analysis of long-term macroeconomic trends and studies of microeconomic issues.
In 2025, APEC structural reform ministers endorsed the Strengthened and Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (SEAASR), which will guide APEC’s work on structural reform until the end of 2030. The SEAASR seeks to contribute to APEC’s overarching goal to ensure an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations, through initiatives in line with the following four pillars:
- Enabling Fair, Market-Oriented Competition;
- Enabling Environment for Doing Business;
- Promoting Innovation and Digitalisation; and
- Empowering All to Achieve Their Economic Potential for Sustainable Economic Growth.
The SEAASR also encourages APEC economies to adopt the following three approaches to promote structural reform for inclusive growth:
- Delivering the six core structural reforms (competition policy and law; strengthening economic and legal infrastructure; ease of doing business; regulatory reform; public sector governance; corporate law and governance) to improve market functioning and transparency.
- Implementing specific market reforms to improve innovation and competitiveness of business and achieve pro-inclusion benefits.
- Adopting a holistic approach to structural reform which combines core reforms, specific market reforms and broader policies to boost productivity and economic resilience.
The Economic Committee meets twice a year and works closely with other relevant APEC fora and other stakeholders.
Contacts
|
Dr James Ding Economic Committee Chair |
Alice MCKENZIE (Ms) Program Director |
Current Activities
Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting
The Economic Committee held the forth Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting (SRMM), hosted by Korea, on 22–23 October 2025. Ministers endorsed the SRMM Statement as well as the Strengthened and Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (2026–2030) and the fourth APEC Ease of Doing Business Action Plan.
EC Publications, Websites and APEC Economic Policy Reports
The Economic Committee publishes an annual flagship APEC Economic Policy Report. The AEPRs provide in-depth analysis and policy recommendations relating to a specific structural reform-related topic.
Capacity Building Projects
Economic Committee member economies implement various capacity-building projects (both APEC-funded and self-funded) relating to APEC’s structural reform agenda. Projects can be views on the APEC project database.
Background
The APEC Economic Committee was established in 1994. In 2004, APEC leaders endorsed an ambitious work program called the Leaders' Agenda to Implement Structural Reform (LAISR). The agenda covered five areas for structural policy reform: regulatory reform, competition policy, public sector governance, corporate governance, and strengthening economic and legal infrastructure.
Building on the work in these five areas, APEC's structural reform agenda was expanded beyond the LAISR's priority areas through the APEC New Strategy for Structural Reform (ANSSR) initiative, launched in 2010, the Renewed APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (RAASR), launched in 2015, and the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR), launched in 2021. In 2025, APEC structural reform ministers endorsed, which will guide APEC’s work on structural reform until the end of 2030.