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Philippines: Third Joint Committee with the European Union takes place in Brussels

30.06.2023 EEAS Press Team

EU - Philippines Joint Committee meets and establishes a new dialogue on maritime security

  1. The third Joint Committee Meeting between the EU and the Philippines was convened on 30 June in Brussels. 
  2. The Joint Committee reviewed the on-going bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation under the European Union-Philippines Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and discussed possible future cooperation initiatives in a number of areas. It built upon the outcomes of the three subcommittee meetings (on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights; Development Cooperation; as well as Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation) held physically in Manila (the Philippines) on 6 October, 23 November, and 25 November 2022, respectively.
  3. Regarding regional security developments, the EU and the Philippines agreed on the need to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, while respecting principles of international law and the UN Charter. The EU and the Philippines reiterated their condemnation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and renewed their call for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces and military equipment from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. International humanitarian law must be respected and safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance must be allowed. The EU and the Philippines agreed to continue to work together closely and stand up for the rules-based international order, the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aggression, as well as for a just peace based on the respect for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as protected by the UN Charter.
  4. The EU and the Philippines discussed the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. They agreed to build on and reinforce synergies between both strategies in order to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with all partners in the Indo-Pacific region. They underscored the priority areas for further cooperation, including among others security, including maritime security and cybersecurity, as well as trade, multilateralism, and the rules-based international order.
  5. On maritime security, the EU and the Philippines expressed concerns over unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability and the rules-based international order. They underscored their unwavering commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and the importance of respecting the sovereign rights of states within their exclusive economic zones consistent with international law, in particular the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its dispute settlement mechanisms, and the Arbitration Award rendered under UNCLOS on 12 July 2016. Moreover, they agreed to strengthen cooperation on maritime matters by establishing an EU-Philippines Subcommittee on Maritime Cooperation. 
  6. The EU and the Philippines also discussed other areas of sectoral cooperation, including environment, energy, climate change, disaster management, the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, critical infrastructure, connectivity.  
  7. The EU and the Philippines underscored the importance of the rule of law, and the respect for human rights, including labour rights, freedom of expression, press, and association, countering any form of violence in our societies, such as against civil society, women, children, migrants, and marginalized groups. They reaffirmed their commitment to those, as stated in their Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, while recognizing the accomplishments and the need for tangible and measurable progress in some areas. The EU reaffirmed its support for the Joint Programme between the Philippines and the United Nations (UN) and the Philippines Government’s commitment to its operationalisation. The Philippines underscored its priorities to boost the efficiency of the criminal justice system and appreciated the EU’s technical support in this regard, including through the Go Just mechanism. The Philippines highlighted its efforts to address human rights issues, provide remedies for victims of crimes, and hold their perpetrators accountable. The EU will host the next sub-committee meeting in the second semester of 2023.  
  8. The EU reiterated its commitment to peace and development in Mindanao, and announced a number of programmes that aim to support local capacities. The Philippines acknowledged that the EU is a valued partner, particularly in the area of renewable energy, good governance, justice reform, peace and development, and the improvement of the country’s trade performance and competitiveness. 
  9. While discussing the EU-ASEAN relations, the EU and the Philippines referred to the situation in Myanmar, emphasizing the need to implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus of 24 April 2021, to bring about a resolution to the crisis in Myanmar. They both reiterated their support for the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy to Myanmar. 
  10. The next Joint Committee meeting will take place in Manila (the Philippines) in 2024.
  11. The EU Delegation was headed by Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the EEAS.  the Philippines' delegation was headed by Hon. Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs. They were also joined by the European Commission, and EU Member States and representatives from the Philippines government agencies.

 

CONTACT DETAILS

Nabila Massrali
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