RP nears tuna accord with EU

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday that the Philippines, Thailand and the European Union (EU) are set to reach an agreement on the two ASEAN countries’ request for more market access for their tuna shipments to the EU.

The Philippines and Thailand have been protesting the EU’s grant of duty-free tuna exports from their former African colonies.

The EU mediator’s opinion, which has been favorably endorsed by EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fishler, involves a minimum access volume and a possible lowering of the existing tariff of 24 percent.

"There is still no word on how much the tariff would be lowered as the opinion of the mediator would still have to be approved or rejected by the entire EU membership," Roxas said.

"At present, the issue of who the EU members would be entitled to vote on the issue also has to be clarified since the EU had just accepted new members," he added.

However, Roxas said, the approval or rejection would probably be known in about a month.

Roxas said he is confident the vote would be favorable as the EU mediator’s opinion is normally accepted by the entire EU membership.