EU remains elusive market for RP tuna

The Philippines may not get a favorable vote from the European Council on a compromise formula for its tuna shipments to the European Union.

Ambassador Jan de Kok, head of delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines, said yesterday there are reports that the two countries vehemently opposed to the compromise agreement are trying to convince two other EU members to vote against the proposed solution.

The countries which are known to be strongly opposed to the compromise are Spain and Portugal.

The compromise formula presented by the mediator to the EU involves lowering the current tariff on canned tuna from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia to 12 percent from 24 percent and the grant of a 25,000-ton quota to be shared by the three countries.

De Kok said the EC voting is not simply a straight number voting. "The EC voting is a weighted voting wherein bigger members have more votes than smaller members," he said.

"If the two countries opposed to the compromise agreement are able to convince two other countries with enough votes to veto the proposed solution, the compromise agreement will not be approved," De Kok added.

Countries which are entitled to more votes in the EC are Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy.

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II said earlier that EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy had given his assurance that the EC would approve the proposed solution.

De Kok further explained that because the process is trilateral, nothing is certain until Thailand and Indonesia also indicate their agreement to the proposed solution.