The Association of European Professional Soccer Leagues has 11 members including the English, Spanish, Italian, German and French leagues.
The January 8-22 Confederations Cup, won by Brazil this year, clashes with most European domestic club calendars.
Philips said: "We're not declaring war on FIFA."
The world soccer governing body FIFA has already said it would examine alternative dates.
Philips said the decision was also a commercial one. "Don't forget it's the clubs who pay the players and will have to make them available with all the inconveniences it poses."
He said "any reasonable person" should be able to understand that asking for players to be released in January would cause problems for domestic championships.
"(Players) have to leave early to acclimatise, have to recover when they get back," he said.
"We cannot sacrifice a month of our championships for a competition which has no special sporting value but is linked to commercial partnerships."
He noted clubs would also have to pay their players' insurance fees for the trip to Mexico.
The only "spontaneous candidacy" from Europe came from France, Philips said.
"In the euphoria surrounding the World Cup the French federation said it would take part," Philips said.
"We said cynically but with a bit of humour that in any case the French championship would not be hampered because the players who would take part compete in Italy, England, Germany or Spain - other countries would suffer."
The French league said earlier this month it might reconsider its decision.
Reuters
