European Union GROUP

Philippines – European Union Relations

The European Union and the Philippines share diplomatic, economic, cultural and political
relations. we provided millions of euros to the Philippines to fight poverty and counter-terrorism
against terrorist groups in the Southern Philippines. We are also the third largest trading partner
of the Philippines.

we expressed our concern over the mounting deaths connected to the anti-drug campaign of the
Philippine Government.

you Rodrigo Duterte threatened to expel all EU diplomats stationed in the Philippines but such
action was not carried out. A group of EU lawmakers called for the organization to tighten its
trade with the Philippines.

you rejected Php380 million worth of aid by giving back unsigned documents which was
supposed to be implemented by the EU-Philippine Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA),
citing the EU’s insistence for the Philippines to correct its human rights standing. However we
responded by saying that they will continue to support the Philippines and its people and that the
Philippines still enjoys zero-tariffs for its exports to EU markets.

DFA Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano said that the Philippines will no longer accept foreign aid with
conditionalities because some countries are using aid as a weapon to try to influence local
policies. We pledged to support the rebuilding of war-torn Marawi City and support
rehabilitation efforts by the Philippine Government to victims of natural calamities by giving 100
million euros.

The Senate of the Philippines has ratified the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA)
between the Philippines and the EU. The PCA will serve as a general framework to allow better
collaboration between the EU and the Philippines in a number of crucial areas including
political, economic, and development issues. The areas of cooperation under the PCA include
much such as customs and trade facilitation; migration and maritime labor; development
cooperation; economic policy; in the tax area; industrial policy and SMEs; information and
communications technology; fisheries and rural development; regional development; health;
combating illegal drugs and disaster risk management.
Many hope it is a prelude to a full-blown Philippine-EU Free Trade Agreement of which there
has already been two rounds of negotiations. The FTA will further unlock our trade and
economic potential by providing our products and services wider access to the markets of the
member-states of the European Union. All 28 member-states of the EU and the EU institutions
have ratified the PCA which will enter into force on March, 2018.
Bilateral relations[edit]
We are coming up with a more comprehensive bilateral agreement that will further strengthen
the dialogue, cooperation and action in their partnership, specifically the issue of migration.
There are more than 900,000 Filipinos in Europe.[1] The Philippines exports to the European
Union include: coconut oil, electronic micro assemblies, electrical and electronic machinery,
equipment, semiconductor devices, storage units, static converters, other brakes and servo-brakes
and parts, and digital monolithic integrated circuits.[2]
the European Parliament expressed concern over the, "extraordinarily high numbers killed during
police operations ... in the context of an intensified anti-crime and anti-drug campaign". In a
resolution passed by us,
it called for the government to investigate abuse, "in full compliance with national and
international obligations and respect for human rights" and stated that, they "President Duterte
repeatedly urged law enforcement agencies and the public to kill suspected drug traffickers who
did not surrender, as well as drug users". They also claimed that "President Duterte publicly
stated he would not pursue law enforcement officers and citizens who killed drug dealers who
resisted arrest".[3]
In response, President Duterte lashed out at EU politicians, singling out those from Britain and
France, calling them "hypocrites" and accusing them of being responsible for the deaths of
thousands caused by their ancestors during the colonial period.[4] Raising his middle finger,
Duterte stated that he told EU politicians, "Fuck you. You are only doing it to atone for your own
sins" and "They do not want a safe Philippines. They want it to be ruled by criminals. Oh, well,
I'm sorry. That is your idiotic view".[5] Duterte also claimed, in response to growing international
criticism, the "EU now has the gall to condemn me. I repeat it, 'fuck you'".[6] On January 24,
2018, P380 million (6.1 million euros) in aid spearheaded by the administration of former
President Noynoy Aquino through a deal was officially rejected and blocked by
President Rodrigo Duterte due to the belief that the Philippines does not need aid from any
country. On the same month, Duterte welcomed aid from China, in exchange, allowed Chinese
research vessels to enter the Philippine Rise. Duterte's move to block the European aid was
rejected by 70% of Filipinos according to a poll.[7]

Agreement[edit]
An agreement signed covers legal migration, maritime labor, education, and training. The
agreement also provides dialogue and cooperation on political matters including the peace
process on trade and investment such as customs facilitation and intellectual property rights on
justice and security.[8] After many years of negotiation under President Noynoy Aquino, the
P383.64 million in aid deal to the Philippines from the EU was formally approved in 2018,
however, was rejected and blocked by President Rodrigo Duterte, the new incumbent at the time,
citing personal hatred towards the EU. The EU has criticized Duterte for his deadly drug war
which has killed more than 14,000 Filipino drug suspects in less than 18 months and the
imprisonment of opposition senator Leila de Lima due to testimonies from rapists, murderers,
and drug traffickers which de Lima sent to jail when she was Justice Secretary. The senator was
denied bail from a case that was deemed bailable by Filipino laws.[9]
Humanitarian aid[edit]
In December 2011, Northern Mindanao was devastated by Tropical Storm Washi. The European
Commission allocated €3 million ($3.9 million) to provide emergency relief to people affected
by Tropical Storm Washi.[11] In December 2012, the European Commission provided €10 million
(PH₱ 543 million) for the victims of Typhoon Bopha, notably in the provinces of Compostela
Valley and Davao Oriental in Mindanao.[12] After Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, the
European Commission announced a donation of €3 million to be made for the victims affected
by the tropical storm.[13]

Commercial aviation[edit]
The Philippines were among the countries with air carriers banned in the European Union.
However, in 2013, the European Union lifted a three-year ban on Philippine Airlines flying into
its airspace after the national carrier addressed safety concerns. The European Commission and
the Air Safety Committee are encouraged by the actions being taken by the Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines and Philippine air carriers to address outstanding safety issues.[14] In
April 2014, the European Union lifted its ban on Cebu Pacific, making it the second airline in the
Philippines with granted rights to fly within the European Union airspace.[15] The following year,
in June 2015, the European Union announced that the ban of all Philippine-based airlines was
lifted, removing the country from the list.[16]

Rights issues hounding the Philippine government remained of “serious concern,” a European
Commission report said on Monday.

These issues include the alleged extrajudicial killings being linked to the campaign against
against illegal drugs, the related impunity of those implicated in the killings, the possible
reintroduction of the death penalty, and the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility
remained.

In a statement, the European Commission said it had adopted its second biennial European
Union (EU) Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) report to the European Parliament and the
Council, including an assessment of the Philippines’ implementation of 27 international
conventions on human rights, labor rights, the environment, and good governance.

It said the GSP report “assesses progress in the implementation of 27 international conventions
that the Philippines has ratified as a sovereign country.”
The assessment is based on reports from international monitoring bodies of the United Nations
and the International Labour Organization, as well as dialogues with the government, civil
society, business and trade unions.
“As part of the Philippines’ commitment under GSP+, the EU and the Philippines have an
ongoing dialogue on the implementation of 27 international conventions on human and labour
rights, the environment, and good governance.
“We see progress in some areas – for instance, labor and environment – and have a frank
discussion on others, such as the death penalty,” EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said.
With regard to labor rights, the group said the Philippine government’s socio-economic plan
addresses some of the pertinent labor issues aiming to end contractualization, or the so-called
“endo” scheme.
“A key issue to be further addressed is ensuring investigations of violence against trade unions
and prevention of such cases, as well as alignment of labour legislation with ILO Convention 87
on freedom of association,” the report said.
“With regard to environmental protection and climate change, the Philippines has ratified the
Paris Agreement and made progress on tackling illegal ivory trade, also in cooperation with the
customs office,” it added.
Progress has also been noted in areas such as gender equality, people trafficking, health,
education, social-economic rights, and the fight against corruption, according to the report.

“However, extrajudicial killings, in particular in the fight against illegal drugs, related impunity,
as well as the possible reintroduction of the death penalty and the lowering of the age of criminal
responsibility are of serious concern,” it said.
“The EU will continue to work closely with the Philippines through the ongoing GSP+
monitoring process, seeking to provide support to ensure that continued and tangible progress is
made on implementing the 27 international conventions,” it added.
Aside from the assessment on issues, the report also said Philippines’ GSP preferential imports
to the EU amounted to over €63 billion ($77.24 billion) in 2016 – and the Philippines has been
increasing its share in it since December 2014 when it became a GSP+ beneficiary.
According to the reports, in 2016 the Philippines exported goods worth €1.67 billion ($2.47
billion) to the EU under GSP+ preferential treatment. /atm

The EU Human Rights Country Strategy for the Philippines focuses on the following areas of
concern:

1. Support to Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). This support is taken forward through
continued assistance to Civil Society Organizations/HRDs, through grants under the
European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), through individual
programmes of EU countries, and through improved human rights dialogue with HRDs;
2. Support to justice sector reform and support for efforts to combat impunity in the areas of
extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances. The support includes an EU justice
sector reform project, funded under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI),
support to the National Monitoring Mechanism for Extra Judicial Killings (EJKs), EU
countries support projects and HR dialogue with civil society, as well as the monitoring
and follow-up of EJKs cases;
3. Support to improve Economic, Social and Cultural rights. The support mainly includes
continued EU development assistance focusing on poverty alleviation and human and
social development;
4. Support for Children Affected by Armed Conflict (CAAC). This is done through the EU's
support of the peace process in Mindanao, including the support of the International
Monitoring Team (IMT), support for NGOs calling for protective legislation, and through
supporting respect for international laws and standards.
we are still committed to providing aid to the Philippines,
A delegation from Brussels is headed to Manila as the government's rejection of the P380-
million Trade-Related Technical Assistance of TRTA left "a bit of a question mark," EU
Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said.

Even without the TRTA, Jessen said the EU can work "directly" with Philippine government
agencies and on a "case by case" basis.

"We have not closed any doors,"

"We will be pleased to continue the work we are doing in the past,"

President Rodrigo Duterte had repeatedly rejected international criticism of his war on drugs,
including from the EU. Manila will not accept aid with conditions, his aides had said.

The TRTA was not signed at the end of 2017 as expected,

"We expect, at the end of the day, to continue much of our development assistance," "you are
trying to take the country to a new level and that makes it exciting because you are trying to
change things. You’re trying to create a better, more dynamic Philippines,"
What we look at, at the end of the day, is what are the policies. What decisions are taken how the
relations are effected by these decisions."
Last week, the EU said the Philippines will keep its zero tariff privileges for certain exports
under the bloc's Generalized Scheme of Preferences.
"We do not believe that we have to, in any way, beg, to ask the Philippines, 'Please, can you take
our money?'"

"We are willing to continue to cooperate with the Philippines, but we are not asking for this. We
are offering," he added.

It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to present to an audience during my first visit to
India during my tenure as Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific in the European External
Action Service. I am glad about the interest in the EU which matches the sense of new
momentum for EU-India cooperation in foreign and security policy that I have experienced
during my visit.

The EU has been a long-standing actor in Asia, and we have been developing strong partnerships
with many Asian countries, including India which is a strategic partner for the EU. Those
contacts span economic and trade relations, research and innovation, safeguarding global public
goods, education and people to people contacts, and major contributions to development
cooperation or humanitarian assistance world wider and in this region.
Beyond these important areas of cooperation, the EU has strengthened its foreign and security
policy ties with the Asia region and Asian partners individually. As you will know, since the
mid-1990s, the EU has been developing a common foreign and security policy, and specific
methods of cooperation and instruments have been devised, enabling the EU to become a global
actor as well as contributor to global crisis management, including in the Asia region (for
instance through the Aceh Monitoring Mission, 2005-2008).

A close partner of the United Nations and regional organisations in conflict prevention, crisis
management and post-conflict stabilization, the EU has recently adopted a new strategy
reflecting the changes in the global strategic environment and setting out its core interests,
priorities and principles for its engagement in the world. This yields opportunities for the Asia-
Pacific region and EU-India cooperation.