PH, EU push to expedite FTA

The Philippines and the European Union (EU) are seeking to expedite the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) amid uncertainties in global trade, with the next round of talks scheduled for October in Manila.

- By DEXTER BARRO II

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Allan Gepty, the country’s lead negotiator for FTAs, said the Philippines and the EU have achieved “meaningful progress” in finding mutually agreeable provisions.

Gepty said the third round of negotiations last month in Brussels, Belgium was a significant step in deepening both parties’ bilateral trade and investment ties.

He noted that negotiators from both sides engaged in discussions across 19 key areas that aim to bolster the country’s trade relations with the 27-member bloc.

Among the sectors that were deliberated on include trade in goods, services and investment, customs and trade facilitation, intellectual property (IP, including geographical indications), sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and technical barriers to trade (TBT), among others.