The European Union has committed €15 million (approximately ₱1 billion) to reinforce the Philippines’ maritime security capability as Manila counters escalating aggressive maneuvers by Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.
Following a multilateral summit in Manila—which brought together representatives from over 27 nations, including the United States, Russia, and China—EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas urged stronger defense ties as both nations formally elevated their relations to an “enhanced partnership.”
This broader agreement expands cooperation across foreign policy, defense, commerce, governance, human rights, environmental initiatives, technology, and cultural exchanges.
“This support will strengthen your country’s maritime capabilities through non-lethal surveillance and monitoring equipment,” Kallas said after signing the enhanced partnership agreement with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro.
The assistance marks the EU’s initial “peace facility support” extended to an Indo-Pacific country, according to Kallas. The aid arrives following repeated dangerous confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels, which have amplified calls for a binding code of conduct to prevent armed conflict in the vital global trade corridor.
Multiple nations—including the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei—maintain overlapping claims in the resource-rich region, though Beijing asserts control over virtually the entire sea.
Kallas reaffirmed the bloc’s support for international law, UNCLOS principles, freedom of navigation, and the 2016 Hague arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive historical claims.