Relations Between the EU and the ROC

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Political, commercial, and cultural exchanges have brought the ROC and the EU closer together. On January 4, 2001, President Chen Shui-bian received Italian Congressman Umberto Giovine, who supported the ROC's participation in the International Biannual Exhibition of Architecture in Venice. (Courtesy of the Office of the President)

Relations between the Republic of China (ROC) and the European Union (EU) have improved significantly in recent years. In 1999, ROC-EU bilateral trade reached US$33.5 billion. Since 1981, the ROC and the EU have held annual economic and trade meetings and, from 1992, the meetings alternated between Taipei and Brussels. To date, 13 meetings have been held and the scope of issues discussed has expanded each year.

In 1990, the ROC and the EU signed agreements on Freight Tax Exemption on Shipping Enterprises and the ATA Carnet System. On August 1, 1998, the ROC and the EU entered into an agreement on bilateral trademark preferences. The first ROC-EU Industrial Round Table, consisting of government officials and industrial personnel, was inaugurated in Taipei by Mr. Martin Bangemann, executive committee member in charge of industrial affairs, and Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Chih-kang in June 1996. The second ROC-EU Industrial Round Table was held in July 1998 in Brussels. The European Investment Bank of the EU has also been granted permission to issue bonds in Taiwan.

Since the development of European integration has a great effect on the international political and economic situation, the ROC government established the Task Force for Guiding EU Affairs in January 1992, to coordinate EU affairs among related government agencies. The ROC also set up the Task Force for EU Affairs under the Taipei Representative Office in Belgium in 1990, to collect information on the EU and strengthen contact with EU agencies and personnel. In addition, the government has invited important supervisors of the EU and European parliamentarians to visit the ROC and promoted the establishment of the ROC representative office in the EU and the EU representative office in Taiwan.

In 1991, the EP-Taiwan Friendly Group was organized under the European Parliament (EP) to enhance relations between Taiwan and the European Union. In 1993, the legislative body adopted two resolutions: the Report on GATT Membership for Taiwan and the Report on the Inclusion of China and Taiwan in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), to support the ROC's GATT membership and participation in other international economic organizations. Concurrently, the EP-Taiwan Friendly Group proposed that the European Union adopts a more pragmatic approach to the ROC and set up an office in Taiwan to further develop political, cultural, and economic relations.

In 1995, the European Parliament issued the case report "Toward a New Asia Strategy (NAS)," which also mentioned support for Taiwan. In February and March 1996, the EP passed two emergency resolutions condemning the Chinese mainland's military exercises off the Taiwan coast during the ROC's presidential election. In July 1996, the "Resolution on Taiwan's Role in International Organizations," supporting the ROC's participation in international organizations, was passed.

In December 1996, the EP added new items to its budget to enable its executive committee to promote cooperation and establish an office in Taiwan. However, no substantial progress was made, because no funds were allocated in the budget. In 1997 and 1998, the EP passed the revised EU budget for 1998 and 1999, respectively, allocating 1.6 million euros for the executive committee to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan. The ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is carefully monitoring developments and will encourage the executive committee to complete this proposal.

On April 13, 2000, the EP passed an urgent proposal, raised by the Group of the European People's Party and European Democrats, Group of the Party of European Socialists, Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, and Union for Europe of the Nations Group, congratulating the ROC on its presidential election and calling on both Taiwan and the mainland to resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation. The resolution also demanded the EU executive committee and member nations to upgrade relations with the ROC, to ensure that the ROC is better represented in the international forum, and to establish an EU representative office in Taipei.

In May 1997, Mr. Tom Spencer, chairman of the EP's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security, and Defence Policy, formally invited ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs John Chang to deliver a speech to the committee. The event had far-reaching significance, and MOFA will continue to work with the EU so that more high-ranking ROC officials will have the opportunity to speak at the European Parliament and further enhance relations between the ROC and the EU.