The European Union (EU) delegation in the Philippines and 16 of the EU's 27 member states reaffirmed their support for the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration recognizing Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea against China.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday evening, July 11, the EU delegation and the embassies in Manila of its member-states—Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Romania, Slovakia (non-resident), Finland and Sweden expressed their support to Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
"The EU recalls that the dispute settlement mechanisms provided under [the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] contribute to the maintenance and furthering of the international order based upon the rule of law and are essential to settle disputes," the statement read.
"The Award of the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings, and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties," it added.
The EU reiterated the fundamental importance of upholding the freedoms, rights and duties established in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in particular the freedoms of navigation and overflight.
"The EU is committed to secure, free and open maritime supply routes in the Indo-Pacific, in full compliance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS, in the interest of all," the EU stated.
"The EU supports the swift conclusion of talks aiming at an effective Code of Conduct between ASEAN and China that is fully compatible with UNCLOS and also respects the rights of third parties," it added.
Earlier on Monday, the French Embassy in Manila on Monday expressed concern over the recent incidents in the South China Sea urging adherence to international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue.
Looking back, the administration of the late president Benigno Aquino III had filed a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2013 contesting Beijing’s so-called nine-dash-line claim.
The Philippines challenged China's maritime claims by bringing the matter before the UN-backed tribunal, under the leadership of the late former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, to establish the nation's maritime economic entitlements.
China has no legitimate claim over any territories that the tribunal ruled to be a part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, according to a landmark decision made by the PCA on July 12, 2016.
The Duterte administration ignored the verdict as part of his shift to China.
