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EU and Philippines reach substantial agreement on Free Trade Agreement

22.09.2026 Press and information team of the Delegation to PHILIPPINES

The European Union and the Philippines reached substantial agreement on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant milestone for both sides. The announcement, on 22 September, follows a call between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., as the EU and the Philippines are about to conclude talks on a Free Trade Agreement.

EU-Philippines FTA
© European Union, 2026

 

This comes just three years after President von der Leyen's visit to Manila in 2023, when the two leaders agreed to relaunch the negotiations.

President von der Leyen welcomed the positive outcome and thanked the negotiating teams for their hard work and commitment, led on the EU side by Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič. The mutually beneficial agreement should bring tangible benefits, including new opportunities for businesses, more investment and more jobs.

It will also support shared priorities on sustainable development and the clean and digital transitions. Given the challenging geopolitical and geoeconomic context, the two leaders also underlined the importance of working with likeminded partners across the world to ensure open, fair and predictable trade.

Following the announcement, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič and Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Ma. Cristina A. Roque, issued a joint statement welcoming the historic outcome and setting the deal on a clear path towards its formal conclusion in the coming months.

They highlighted that the agreement will deepen bilateral trade and investment ties, making them more diversified and resilient. The agreement also sends a clear signal of reinforced engagement between the EU and the Philippines, anchored in their common interest in an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order in the current volatile context.

In practical terms, both sides highlighted that the FTA will deliver:

  • New opportunities for businesses, including MSMEs, as well as for farmers, manufacturers, and consumers on both sides;

  • Stronger, more diversified supply chains, critical at a moment when resilience has become a strategic priority;

  • Fair rules and real predictability, underpinned by a shared commitment to a more secure and stable global economy.

Secretary Roque and Commissioner Šefčovič noted that this is a forward-looking partnership, built on trust and mutual benefit. They have instructed their negotiating teams to finalize the agreement as soon as possible.