The Philippines and the European Union (EU) have made “remarkable progress” in the fourth round of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), with both sides hoping to stabilize the draft text this year.
The recently concluded talks were “productive” and covered major chapters including trade in goods, services and investment, digital trade, intellectual property, competition, rules of origin, government procurement and trade and sustainable development, said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary for the International Trade Group Allan Gepty.
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“We made remarkable progress in the text-based negotiations. We hope to stabilize the text within the year,” Gepty said, adding that both sides also began market-access negotiations for goods, services and investments, including modalities for government procurement.
The Philippines-EU FTA negotiations were relaunched in March 2024 after a seven-year hiatus, with the goal of concluding a comprehensive and modern agreement by 2027. The last round of talks was held in Brussels in June 2025.
The FTA is expected to provide a long-term framework for bilateral trade once the Philippines graduates from the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) program which grants duty-free access for over 6,000 tariff lines.
In 2024, total trade in goods between the Philippines and the EU reached 16.8 billion euros, while services trade was valued at 8.5 billion euros, according to EU data.
Gepty said the objective “remains clear — to promote not only trade and investments but also inclusivity, sustainability, good governance, and resilience as we advance our PH–EU economic relations.”
The agreement is anticipated to expand market access for Philippine exporters, attract European investments and support the government’s push for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
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