MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the European Union have highlighted specific areas for further engagements and cooperation on a range of maritime issues.
Maritime security, maritime domain awareness, regional security, addressing non-traditional security threats, coast guard cooperation, maritime education, training and certification and safety at sea, and marine environmental protection are the areas the Philippines and the EU identified for further engagements and cooperation in line with the obligation of states to protect and preserve the marine environment under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In a joint statement on Wednesday from the meeting of the Third Sub-committee on Maritime Cooperation under the EU-Philippines Partnership and Cooperation Agreement held in Brussels on Oct. 7, both parties agreed to further explore training, capacity building, and the exchange of best practices in a broad range of maritime areas.
They also expressed their eagerness to identify specific areas where their combined efforts can provide the most value, and at the same time complement existing collaborations with other like-minded partners.
The Philippines and the EU also agreed to exchange views on the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and addressing challenges posed by the “shadow fleets.”
The EU-Philippines security and defense dialogue launched by the two sides in June 2025 in Manila is a dedicated platform to deepen cooperation in security and defense areas, including maritime security.
The International Maritime Organization defined a “dark fleet” or “shadow fleet” as ships engaged in illegal operations aimed at circumventing sanctions, evading compliance with safety or environmental regulations, avoiding insurance costs or engaging in other illegal activities.
A key characteristic is their deliberate effort to avoid detection, often by switching off their Automatic Identification System or Long-Range Identification and Tracking transmissions, or by concealing the ship’s actual identity.
Shadow fleets, operating covertly in global maritime commerce, have emerged as a significant challenge to international regulatory frameworks and trade policies.
The EU and the Philippines reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and international law, and emphasized their resolve to uphold the UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas must be carried out.
They underscored the importance of respecting the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of coastal states, and their maritime entitlements in accordance with international law, particularly the UNCLOS and its dispute settlement mechanisms.
They called for full and faithful compliance by the parties with the final and legally binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award rendered by the arbitral tribunal constituted in accordance with UNCLOS. They further emphasized their unwavering commitment to respect the rights and freedoms under UNCLOS, including freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
The EU and the Philippines also reiterated their strong opposition to illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous activities in the South China Sea, and welcomed frank and sincere diplomatic engagements to manage differences.
They expressed serious concerns over unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability and the rules-based order, and urged restraint from the threat or use of force and from adding uncertainty to the region.