Philippines, EU to sign deal to enhance bilateral ties

Manila, Philippines—The Philippines and the European Union (EU) are set to sign the landmark Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which the EU has described as an agreement that would serve as the framework and foundation of the countries’ bilateral relations.

In an e-mail interview with Inquirer.net, Ambassador Guy Ledoux, head of the EU delegation to the Philippines, said that the PCA would be the first bilateral deal between the EU and the Philippines, and that it would enable an institutionalized bilateral dialogue and structure to cover more areas of cooperation.

“The new PCA demonstrates the commitment of the EU to forge a modern, broad-based and mutually beneficial partnership with the Philippines. It will broaden the scope of EU-Philippines relations in areas such as counter-terrorism, the fights against corruption and organized crime, trade and investment, migration and energy, as well as other issues,” Ledoux said in the e-mail interview.

The agreement will be signed by Foreign Secretary Del Rosario and High Representative Catherine Ashton of the EU Foreign Affairs on July 12 at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The agreement is also expected to push negotiations for a free-trade agreement that will give the Philippines greater access to European markets.