A total of 16 European nations have backed the Philippines in its fight for sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea as the world commemorates this month Manila’s victory against Beijing with regards to South China Sea dispute through the 2016 Arbitral Ruling issued by The Hague. A joint statement on Tuesday issued by Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden supports the Philippines’ territorial integrity as China continues its unilateral claim over the whole of South China Sea. The embassies of the 16 countries cited the significance of the ruling, which was based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), by saying it is “a significant milestone” in contributing to the maintenance of rules-based order and the settling of dispute. They said it is “legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings, and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between parties.” "The EU (European Union) reiterates the fundamental importance of upholding the freedoms, rights and duties established in UNCLOS, in particular the freedoms of navigation and overflight," the European nations, which are also members of the EU, said. Despite the ruling, China continues its claim over the South China Sea on the basis of its unilateral nine-dash line. It is a party to the UNCLOS. When the Philippines filed an arbitration case against China over the West Philippine Sea, a part of the bigger South China Sea, China refused to participate. The 26 countries further said they are committed to secure, free and open maritime supply routes in the Indo-Pacific, in full compliance with international and “in the interest of all.” Several countries have expressed concern over an open Indo-Pacific maritime route amid reports of maritime harassments, including those committed by Chinese personnel against Filipinos. "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," the said countries added.