EU earmarks $70-M for RP projects

The European Union has allocated 63 million Euros or about $70 million for cooperation projects in the country for the period of 2002 to 2006.

According to Ambassador Jan de Kok, head of delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, the areas of cooperation include the agriculture sector, agrarian reform, natural resources and health.

For this year De Kok said, the EU has also lined up cooperation projects with the Supreme Court and the Office of the Ombudsman on good governance and making the judicial system more accessible to the poor.

There is also an EU project to help the Philippines combat terrorism. This involves two areas which are border management and money laundering.

In the health sector, De Kok said, the EU wants to contribute to the health reform agenda.

And in the area of trade, the EU is willing to provide technical assistance in areas where the Philippines lacks expertise.

De Kok said the EU had held talks with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Agriculture on areas in which the Philippines would want some assistance.

As a result of the talks, De Kok said, some areas cited were in Customs, trade facilitation, sanitary and phyto sanitary standards, trade in general and negotiation skills.

The Philippines enjoys a $3-billion trade surplus with the EU as Philippine exports amount to $7.5 billion as against its imports of only $4.5 billion.