EU renews FTA call with Philippines
AFP | 24 February 2011
EU renews FTA call with Philippines
MANILA : The European Union on Thursday renewed its call for a free-trade agreement with the Philippines.
Guy Ledoux, head of the EU mission’s delegation to the Philippines, said Manila had yet to formalise its intention to negotiate a free-trade treaty after it was proposed last year.
"The ball is in the Philippines’ court," Ledoux told reporters.
The EU is pursuing free trade talks with other Southeast Asian nations, including Singapore and Malaysia, after failing to broker one with the 10-nation ASEAN regional bloc.
The Philippines is part of an intra-ASEAN free trade area but has yet to sign a bilateral pact on its own.
Philippine exports to the EU stood at about $3.3 billion in 2009, according to the latest official data available.
The Philippine trade department told AFP its official responsible for trade relations with the EU was unavailable on Thursday for comment.
