Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 12) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will discuss with the European Union (EU) the Philippines’ trade privileges which the EU earlier threatened to suspend over human rights issues that hounded the Duterte administration.
“We’ll bring it up with the EU,” Marcos told reporters on Sunday, referring to the country’s perks under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).
He made the statement while on board his flight to Belgium for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-EU summit, and after he was asked to comment on the EU warning.
GSP+ grants zero tariffs for the country’s exports to Europe on the condition that the government upholds 27 international conventions on human rights, labor, environment and climate action and good governance.
In the past administration, the EU called on the Philippines to address alleged human rights abuses — including extrajudicial killings — or lose the trade perks.
“I don’t think one thing should be related to the other, but we’ll see,” Marcos said during the short interview.
According to Malacañang, Marcos and his high-level delegation will meet with officials of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament during the summit in Belgium.
The trade perks will expire in December 2023 for the Philippines. Beneficiary countries will have to reapply to continue having preferential access to the EU market.
