The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) successfully concluded a high-level meeting with the European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Chief Negotiator, Ms. Dora Correia, on 12 February 2025 at Dusit Thani Manila. This pivotal session marked the second engagement between ECCP and Ms. Correia, following their initial discussion in June 2024. The meeting provided crucial updates on the ongoing EU-PH FTA negotiations, identifying key expectations and areas of consideration while fostering a collaborative dialogue to strengthen economic ties.
Key topics covered included Rules of Origin, Customs, and Trade Facilitation, presented by ECCP Tax and Financial Services Vice Chairperson and SGV Tax Principal Atty. Alden Labaguis, alongside Customs and Logistics Committee Co-Chairperson and Royal Cargo Group CEO Michael Raeuber. Intellectual Property Rights were addressed by IPR Committee Chairperson Atty. Reena Mitra-Ventanilla, while Government Procurement, Competition, and Legal & Institutional Issues were discussed by FTA Committee Chairperson and TradeAdvisors CEO Atty. Anthony Abad.
The sector-focused presentations highlighted industry-specific concerns, challenges, and opportunities. Representatives from various sectors shared their insights:
- Agriculture – ECCP Director and Alaska Milk Managing Director Tarang Gupta
- Automotive – Peter Rankl of Continental Regional ASEAN Automotive and Autohub Group Presidential Management Officer Yeale Frokjaer
- Aviation – Lufthansa Technik Philippines CFO Rubi Pioquinto
- Energy – ECCP RE&EE Committee Co-Chairperson and Upgrade Energy Philippines Inc. President Ruth Yu-Owen
- Financial Institutions/Trade in Services – ING Bank Head of Corporate Sector Coverage and Financial Institutions Lenin Duenas
- Food and Beverage – ECCP Food and Beverages Committee Chairperson and Charmant Ingredients Corporation Managing Director Helen Grace Baisa
- Healthcare – Sanofi Public Affairs Manager Dr. Constante Caluya and Novo Nordisk VP & General Manager Wei Sun
- Infrastructure – Acciona Regional Director for Southeast Asia Ruben Camba
Joining Ms. Correia were Fabien Gehl, Deputy Chief Negotiator; Mikkel Sejberg, Policy Officer for the Philippines/Negotiation Coordinator; and Philipp Dupuis, Therese Yosuico, and Monica De Guzman from the EU Delegation. Other representatives from the European-Philippine business community and national chambers also participated in the session, further strengthening the dialogue between stakeholders.
ECCP extended its gratitude to Ms. Correia and all presenters for their valuable insights, as well as to the participants for their active engagement. This meeting reaffirms ECCP’s commitment to advancing EU-PH trade relations and fostering meaningful discussions on critical economic issues that will shape the future of bilateral trade.
