EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro on Thursday expressed optimism that the upcoming fourth round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Philippines, set to resume in Cebu next week, will be a “successful” one.
Speaking at the European-Philippines Business Dialogue, Santoro said the discussions are a crucial step in deepening bilateral trade ties, following three successful negotiation rounds held alternately in Manila and Brussels.
“I am very confident that it will be a successful round of discussions. Our teams have already advanced on the text, and at the fourth round we expect to go even beyond,” the ambassador said.
The “text-based negotiations” aim to build a comprehensive and ambitious framework covering trade in goods and services, investments, government procurement, and clear, effective trade rules—all anchored on sustainability, he said.
Santoro said the FTA would not only open new market access opportunities but would also serve as a long-term mechanism to sustain economic cooperation between the two partners, acting as an immediate relay after the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) system is over.
