# CE2004078EN.01063102.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/631 |
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27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/631

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(2004/C 78 E/0668)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3702/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(10 December 2003)

Subject:   EC-Macau Joint Committee — tenth meeting

Subject:

Under the terms of the EU-Macau cooperation agreement, in force since 1 January 1993, an EC-Macau Joint Committee was established, to meet annually, on the territory of each signatory year about.

To date there is no news of the scheduling or holding of the tenth meeting, which should take place in 2003.

No official specifically responsible for EU cooperation with Macau has yet been appointed, capable of getting bilateral cooperation moving on the ground in Macau.

Commissioner Patten said in reply to my Written Question E-3098/02 (1). that the Commission continued to be committed to maintaining close relations with Macau.

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Can the Commission answer the following:

| — | has the date for the holding of the tenth meeting of the Joint Committee been fixed; |
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has the date for the holding of the tenth meeting of the Joint Committee been fixed;

| — | what are the reasons for it not having been scheduled or announced to date; |
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what are the reasons for it not having been scheduled or announced to date;

| — | does the Commission believe that the existence of an official specifically responsible for EC-Macau cooperation, the need for which both Commission and Parliament have acknowledged, would guarantee more effective continuity in following up relations with the Special Administrative Region; |
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does the Commission believe that the existence of an official specifically responsible for EC-Macau cooperation, the need for which both Commission and Parliament have acknowledged, would guarantee more effective continuity in following up relations with the Special Administrative Region;

| — | in the light of the foregoing, and pursuant to my previous Written Questions P-1961/01 (2) and E-3098/02 and taking account of the recent developments described in Question E-3278/03 (3), does the Commission believe that it can now go ahead with recruiting an official responsible for cooperation with Macau? |
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in the light of the foregoing, and pursuant to my previous Written Questions P-1961/01 (2) and E-3098/02 and taking account of the recent developments described in Question E-3278/03 (3), does the Commission believe that it can now go ahead with recruiting an official responsible for cooperation with Macau?

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Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2004)

(22 January 2004)

The EEC-Macau Cooperation Agreement of 14 December 1992 provides for an annual joint committee meeting to review trade relations and the state of bilateral cooperation between the Community and the Macau Special Administrative Region. The Commission is committed to holding these meetings annually. During informal talks with the Economic and Trade Office, Macau's mission to the Communities, it suggested a date for the tenth meeting of the committee in December 2003. Unfortunately Macau was unable to accept that date. The Commission is currently discussing other possible dates, i.e. February or March 2004, with its counterparts from Macau.

On the question of the appointment of an official with special responsibility for cooperation with Macau, the Commission still does not consider that the size of its current cooperation programme in Macau, consisting of a single project expiring this year, justifies recruiting an official for this purpose.

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(1)  OJ C 242 E, 9.10.2003, p. 39.

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(2)  OJ C 364 E, 20.10.2001, p. 232.

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(3)  See page 248.

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