PH, EU FTA talks make remarkable progress

The Philippines and the European Union (EU) are making significant progress in their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, with the fourth round of talks in Cebu yielding "remarkable progress" in text-based discussions.

Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty confirmed that both parties are "on track" with their target timeline and aim to conclude the FTA negotiations as early as next year.

The recent negotiations covered a wide range of topics including customs, sustainable development, trade in goods and services, digital trade, intellectual property, government procurement, and rules of origin.

Other areas discussed were competition, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, state-owned enterprises, trade remedies, energy and raw materials, dispute settlement, exceptions, initial provisions, and institutional provisions.

The finalization of the FTA is crucial as it aims to be concluded ahead of the expiration of the EU's Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) in 2027.