There is no reason why the EU and the Philippines should not conclude a free trade agreement, says Manilla’s vice-minister in charge of industry, development and trade policy Ceferino Rodolfo.
Philippines
Week in Brussels: Deforestation, Colombia climate, Singapore digital, Philippines GSP+
There isn’t only Africa this week in EU trade news. The latest edition of Week in Brussels brought to you by Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
Unsustainable unilateralism: Sanctions or sustainability compliance
Europe’s efforts towards sustainable trade is a paradox. While it successfully works with sticks and carrots for sustainable fisheries, the EU imposes rules on biofuels that cannot be complied with, writes Hosuk Lee-Makiyama.
ASEAN: An afterthought in EU trade policy?
There’s about one year to go before its top leadership gets renewed. Yet the European Commission risks missing out on the early harvest it reaped in its free trade agreement negotiations with ASEAN members in the first years of this legislature, writes Iana Dreyer. The EU’s executive is trying …
A week in Brussels: GSP report, ISDS scrutiny, EU export boom to China
This week in EU trade was marked by a first substantive round of trade negotiations with Chile, as well as a meeting of the EU Korea trade committee dominated by EU recriminations against Korean beef import restrictions and one of its labour union laws. Otherwise it’s been report and data …
Official Filipino visit fails to lift uncertainty over FTA, GSP+ status
An official delegation from the Philippines visited Brussels this week (25 September), in a move to try and persuade European Union institutions to keep the doors open to its exports. The visit has not put an end to the limbo in which FTA talks were put only a few months …
In brief: Sri Lanka gets GSP+ back, Philippines fears losing it
Sri Lanka regained its lost ‘GSP Plus’ status on Friday (19 May 2017). The country lost the preferential market access status in 2010 following government human right abuses in the context of its crackdown on the Tamil Tiger rebellion. Since 2015, the new government under Ranil Wickremesinghe has fought hard …
Philippines FTA: EU letting go on talks
The EU Commission is putting free trade talks with the Philippines on halt. In practice, this means it is not setting a new date for a new round of free trade negotiations given concerns over the country’s human rights record. FTA talks with the Philippines were launched in 2016 and are part …
EU ASEAN trade deals: state of play
The European Union wants to seize the opportunity that international circumstances are giving it to move up ASEAN’s priority list in international trade. But the EU could be held back by its own foreign policy goals, and the European Parliament, which both insist on democracy promotion and human rights. …
Exclusive: David Martin on Scotland, Brexit and EU ASEAN trade
David Martin talks to Hermine Donceel about Scotland after Brexit and EU ASEAN trade relations. Scotland could end up voting to leave the United Kingdom and should be allowed to join EFTA, the MEP reckons. As to EU ASEAN relations, the EU must pay more attention to human rights and …
