Local officials to meet with EU counterparts

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government and the European Union will hold on Monday the Philippines-European Union Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) that will cover an array of political, economic trade and development issues with the aim of boosting bilateral relationship.

The SOM will be the seventh meeting since 1997 and the first since the establishment of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The meeting, which will take place on Dec. 12-13 in Manila, will look ahead to the signing and implementation of the already-initialed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the Philippines.

European External Action Service (EEAS) Managing Director for Asia and Pacific Viorel Isticioaia-Budura will lead the EU delegation.

He will be accompanied by the Head of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, Ambassador Guy Ledoux, European Commission Directorate General for Development Cooperation Asia Unit Head Beata Kolecka and acting Head of Unit for Trade Relations with South Asia, Korea and ASEAN in the European Commission Directorate General for Trade Peter Berz.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio will head the Philippine delegation and will be joined by Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Elizabeth Buensuceso, Philippine Ambassador to the European Union Victoria Bataclan, officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as well as officials from other Philippine government agencies.

The SOM will cover an array of political, economic trade and development issues with the aim of boosting the Philippine-EU bilateral relation.

The Mindanao peace process, human rights, migration, air and maritime transport cooperation as well as regional political and trade issues are on the agenda.

A working group on Trade and Investment and another on Development Cooperation will also take place in advance of the SOM, and will look into how the EU-Philippines Trade relationship can reach its full potential as well as specific bilateral issues regarding financial services, intellectual property rights, and competition policies.

It will take a close look at the P9.6 billion portfolio of ongoing EU-Philippine development cooperation programs in the sectors of health, governance, human rights, environment and trade-related assistance, as well as the implementation of the Philippines’ own reform agenda. - Pia Lee-Brago, Jose Rodel Clapano

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