The European Union and the Philippines have decided to resume their negotiations for a free trade agreement in order to usher in “a new era of cooperation,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday during a visit to Manila.
Talks had begun in 2015 under President Benigno Aquino, but were halted two years later under his successor, Rodrigo Duterte, whose deadly war on drugs strained diplomatic relations with the West and triggered an international investigation.
“I'm very glad we have decided to relaunch negotiations for (a) free trade agreement,” Ms von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “A free trade agreement has huge potential for both of us in terms of growth and in terms of jobs.”
For President Marcos, the Philippines and the EU are “like-minded partners” with “common values”: “democracy, sustainable and inclusive prosperity, rule of law, peace and stability, and human rights."
The EU is the fourth largest trading partner of the Philippines, which benefits from the European Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+). This allows the Philippines to export 6,274 products to the EU duty-free, but the scheme is due to expire at the end of the year.
Under GSP+, which covers developing countries, Brussels removes its import tariffs on two-thirds of different product categories in exchange for the implementation of 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, the environment and good governance.
Observers and members of the European Parliament had called on the EU to suspend any extension of this arrangement for the Philippines because of Mr Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown, which claimed thousands of lives.
A Philippine watchdog group estimates that more than 350 people have been killed since Mr Marcos took power in June 2022.
