Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Lapus recently stated that since the European Union has agreed to accept the Philippine government's proposal to resolve intellectual property issues, the 7th round of trade negotiations between the Philippines and the European Union will resume in June.
Lapus stated that both the Philippines and the European Union hope to complete the partnership agreement as soon as possible so that negotiations for a free trade agreement can be officially launched within the year.
The European Union is the largest regional trading partner of ASEAN. Once a partnership cooperation agreement or free trade agreement is signed, bilateral trade could see double-digit growth. Philippine exports to the European Union account for 21% of its total exports.





