JOINT REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL MACAO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION: ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Date: 2016-04-25
Institutions: European Commission, European External Action Service
Subjects: Macao, economic cooperation, economic transition, election, gaming establishment, human rights, political reform, regional integration, rule of law, social rights

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE UNION FOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND
SECURITY POLICY

Brussels, 25.4.2016  
JOIN(2016) 9 final 

JOINT REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

MACAO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION: ANNUAL REPORT 2015 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
JOINT REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 
MACAO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION: ANNUAL REPORT 2015 

Summary 

Since the handover of Macao to the People’s Republic of China in 1999, the European Union 
and  its  Member  States  have  closely  followed  political  and  economic  developments  in  the 
Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. 
The  European  Union  adheres  to  a  ‘one  China’  policy  and  supports  the  ‘one  country,  two 
systems’ principle and its implementation. 

This annual report on developments in Macao is issued in line with the commitment given to 
the European Parliament. 

In 2015, the ‘one country, two systems’ principle continued to work well, to the benefit of the 
Macao SAR, China as a whole, and the international community. 2015 was the first full year 
in  office  of  the  new  Government  of  Macao,  headed  by  Chief  Executive  Chui  Sai  On.  The 
process of the government taking office went smoothly and was in accordance with the Basic 
Law. The Chief Executive announced that the government would place particular emphasis on 
communicating with the Macao population. 

The  Chief  Executive  was  elected  in  2014,  in  an  election  in  which  he  ran  uncontested.  This 
was the third time in a row that only one candidate stood for election to the Chief Executive 
post. While Macao’s Basic Law and other legislative acts do not provide for the possibility of 
universal  suffrage,  the  EU  encourages  the  Macao  authorities  to  consider  ways  to  promote 
greater  public  involvement  in  the  election  of  the  Chief  Executive,  thereby  enhancing  the 
legitimacy of the position and contributing to good governance. 

The  fundamental  rights  and  freedoms  of  citizens  continued  to  be  respected.  Positive  steps 
were  taken  towards  improving  the  wages  of  low-paid  workers  and  combating  domestic 
violence and trafficking in human beings. Macao’s media continued to express a broad range 
of views despite some concerns about increasing self-censorship. 

Macao’s  market-based  economy  continued  to  function  efficiently  but  economic  growth 
suffered  from  a  marked  decline  in  gaming  revenues,  on  which  the  SAR  is  over-reliant. 
Improving the lives of ordinary citizens, who face mounting living and housing costs, is a key 
priority.  Macao’s  economic  cooperation  and  integration  with  mainland  China  advanced  at  a 
fast  pace,  especially  with  Guangdong  Province,  helping  to  overcome  Macao’s  shortage  of 
land and human resources. The functioning of the Macao Government needs to be modernised 
and made more efficient; in this connection, administrative reforms have been announced. 

EU-Macao  relations  continued  to  flourish,  with  a  growing  cooperation  portfolio  and  solid 
trade relations.  Notwithstanding the sharp contraction in Macao's economy, EU-Macao trade 
grew  significantly  in  2015,  thanks  to  an  increase  in  exports  of  machinery  and  transport 

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equipment. Priorities for 2016 are cooperation on economic diversification, the fight against 
human trafficking, legal affairs, regulatory matters, and research and innovation. 

Political developments 

2015  was  the  first  full  year  for  the  new  Macao  SAR  Government,  which  took  office  on  20 
December 2014 in a ceremony presided over by President Xi Jinping that coincided with the 
15th anniversary of the SAR. The new government is again headed by Chief Executive Chui 
Sai On; all other members of the government are new. For the third time in a row, the Chief 
Executive  was  elected  uncontested  as  the  only  candidate  standing  for  election  to  the  Chief 
Executive  post.  While  Macao’s  Basic  Law  and  other  legislative  acts  do  not  provide  for  the 
possibility of universal suffrage, the EU encourages the Macao authorities to consider ways to 
promote greater public involvement in the election of the Chief Executive, thereby enhancing 
the legitimacy of the post, increasing public support, and strengthening governance. 

In his address on the occasion of the SAR Government taking office, President Xi Jinping set 
four priorities for the new government: improve Macao’s law-based governance, diversify the 
economy to make it sustainable, solve problems relating to the population’s living standards 
and  reduce  social  disparity,  and  educate  young  people  so  that  they  understand  the  ‘one 
country, two systems’ principle. 

The government incorporated these four priorities into its work programme during 2015. The 
Chief  Executive  presented  his  policy  address  in  November.  Set  against  the  backdrop  of  a 
steep decline in GDP as a result of the slump in Macao’s gaming sector, the policy address 
placed a strong emphasis on livelihood matters, announcing an increase in various subsidies, 
raising  of  the  minimum  subsistence  index,  a  review  of  labour  law,  and  an  increase  in 
government-built  housing.  Infrastructure  development  focused  on  transport.  The  policy 
address mentioned administrative reform, but set out only a few concrete measures regarding 
institutional development and the judiciary, and anti-corruption measures. 

Some steps were taken to improve social welfare. In July, the Legislative Assembly adopted 
legislation  establishing  a  minimum  wage  for  local  cleaners  and  security  guards  hired  by 
property  management  service  suppliers  or  working  in  residential  buildings.  The  law,  which 
came into effect on 1 January 2016, sets the minimum salary at MOP 30 hourly, MOP  240 
daily  or  MOP  6 240  monthly,  to  be  revised  annually.  The  government  pledged  to  gradually 
introduce a minimum wage in all sectors of the economy within three years. In 2015, over 500 
people were hired to work in public hospitals and to provide other healthcare services, which 
allowed some services and working hours of public hospitals to be extended. 

Equal opportunities, rights and freedoms. Within the framework of the ‘one country, two 
systems’  principle,  enshrined  in  the  Basic  Law  of  Macao,  the  rights  and  fundamental 
freedoms of the people of Macao continued to be respected and the rule of law was upheld. 
Macao  enjoys  a  high  level  of  civil  liberties  and  respect  of  human  rights  and  fundamental 
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freedoms.  Nonetheless,  the  government  remained  opposed  to  a  suggestion  by  the  UN 
Committee  Against  Torture  (UN  CAT)  to  establish  an  independent  human  rights  body, 
arguing  that  this  recommendation  was  not  applicable  to  Macao  as  a  Special  Administrative 
Region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). 

The media remained diverse and were able to express a variety of views without restriction. 
There is growing self-censorship, however, particularly in Chinese-language media and when 
reporting on Chinese affairs. The international media operate freely. 

There  are  continuing  concerns  about  discrimination  on  the  grounds  of  sexual  orientation 
and  gender  identity,  particularly  in  employment,  education,  and  healthcare. A  positive  step 
was taken in January 2015, when the Legislative Assembly adopted an act making domestic 
violence a criminal offence. However, same-sex relationships are not covered under the Act. 
The UN CAT questioned this decision and urged the government to extend the protection to 
all individuals in an intimate relationship regardless of sexual orientation. Proponents pointed 
out  that  the  UN  Committee  on  Economic,  Social  and  Cultural  Rights  had  urged  Macao  to 
adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender 
persons. 

Progress was made in promoting gender equality. In May 2015, the Labour Affairs Bureau 
introduced a draft amendment to the Labour Relations Law. It contained a proposal to extend 
paid  maternity  leave  by  14  days  and  to  introduce  paternity  leave.  The  legislative  proposals 
have  not  yet  been  adopted.  More  legislation  is  needed  to  promote  gender  equality,  for 
example in the area of sexual harassment. 

The  Macao  Government  made  further  substantial  efforts  to  combat  cross-border  crime,  in 
particular  human  trafficking.  The  Human  Trafficking  Deterrent  Measures  Concern 
Committee, an interdepartmental body comprising government, law enforcement, justice and 
social  affairs  representatives,  continued  to  tackle  human  trafficking  and  to  implement 
measures aiming at  prevention and victim protection.  Activities included training of judges, 
magistrates, lawyers and other professionals. Nevertheless, in December 2015, the UN CAT 
expressed concerns about the very low number of prosecutions and convictions for trafficking 
despite a large number of complaints. It urged Macao to step up investigation and prosecution 
of suspected offenders and to provide further training to officials. The government expressed 
its  willingness  to  tackle  the  issue  and  welcomed  cooperation  with  international  partners, 
including the EU. 

Macao  has  not  effectively  enforced  freedom  of  association  and  collective  bargaining  as 
enshrined in International Labour Organization Conventions. Proposed private bills on trade 
unions  and  collective  bargaining  have  been  turned  down  repeatedly  in  the  Legislative 
Assembly. Employees are free to take part in union activities and industrial action but they are 
not protected from retaliation. Article 70 of the Labour Relations Law allows the employer to 
terminate  an  employee’s  service  without  just  cause  by  giving  a  modest  amount  of 
compensation. 

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Anti-corruption.  On  1  January,  a  new  law  against  corruption  in  foreign  trade  took  effect, 
prohibiting the offering of bribes to officials serving outside the SAR. This measure is in line 
with the requirements of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. 

In March, the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) submitted its annual report for 2014. 
It  showed  a  slight  drop  in  total  complaints  and  a  large  decrease  in  the  number  of  criminal 
reports compared to 2013. The CCAC said it would investigate the cause of the decrease. The 
report also highlighted the importance of citizens’ participation, with 96 % of investigations 
having  been  initiated  through  individual  complaints.  The  main  violations  reported  were 
crimes  committed  by  public  servants,  such  as  forgery  of  documents,  abuse  of  power,  fraud, 
and  embezzlement.  No  complaints  were  lodged  about  the  2014  election  of  the  Chief 
Executive.  In  2015,  Macao  cooperated  in  an  ongoing  investigation  of  two  UN  officials 
accused of accepting bribes from a Macao developer. 

Economic developments 

Macao slipped into a deep recession in 2015. GDP shrank by 20.3 %1 in real terms in 2015, 
following  a  0.9 %  decrease  in  2014.  The  contraction  was  due  to  the  dramatic  slowdown  in 
Macao’s gaming sector, which had its worst year since the liberalisation of the gaming regime 
in  2002.  Revenues  fell  by  34.3 %  to  MOP  231  billion  in  2015,  the  lowest  in  five  years,  as 
China’s corruption crackdown scared off high-stake players and a slowing economy adversely 
affected mass-market gambling. Despite the revenue slump, Macao continued to rank as the 
world’s largest gaming market. However, the fall in revenue meant that Macao’s size relative 
to  Las  Vegas,  its  nearest  competitor,  dropped  from  a  factor  of  7  in  2014  to  4.6  in  2015. 
Tourism was lacklustre, with visitor arrivals decreasing by 2.6 % to 30.7 million in 2015.   

On  the  other  hand,  private  consumption  and  government  expenditure  increased  respectively 
by  2.4 %  and  4.2 %  in  real  terms  in  2015,  mitigating  the  economic  downturn.  The 
unemployment rate stayed below 2 % throughout the year. The labour market thus continued 
to be tight while the number of imported workers reached a high level of 181,646 at the end of 
2015. Inflationary pressure moderated from 6 % in 2014 to 4.6 % in 2015. 

Total investment continued to grow on account of the construction of new gaming resorts and 
hotels  and  infrastructure  facilities.  Three  of  the  six  mega-sized  casino  hotels  under 
construction opened in 2015. To promote economic diversification and to contain excessive 
gaming  growth,  the  government  vowed  to  cap  the  number  of  new  gaming  tables  at  3 % 
annually  up  to  2023.  The  allocation  of  new  tables  thus  became  the  subject  of  hard 
negotiations  and/or  mediation  between  the  government  and  gaming  operators.  In  2015,  the 
Macao Government licensed 350 new gaming tables. 

1  Unless  otherwise  stated,  economic  indicators  pertaining  to  the  Macao  economy  were  sourced  from  the 

Statistics and Census Service of the Macao SAR Government. 

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Macao’s six casino concessions will expire between 2020 and 2022. The government said it 
would conduct a public consultation on the concession renewal process and an in-depth study 
on  the  way  forward  for  Macao’s  gaming  industry.  Gaming  operators  are  urged  to  develop 
more  non-gaming  facilities  as  part  of  integrated  resorts,  and  this  will  be  one  of  the  key 
elements for consideration of new gaming table allotment and eventual renewal of licences. 

As the gaming tax generates the bulk of overall fiscal revenues,2 the substantial decline of the 
gaming  sector  resulted  in  a  corresponding  drop  of  fiscal  revenue  in  2015.  In  the  first  ten 
months  of  2015,  total  fiscal  revenue  fell  by  29.7 %  to  MOP  109.8  billion.  Against  this 
backdrop, for the first time in years the SAR Government rolled out mild austerity measures 
to tighten spending. It gave reassurances that budgets allocated for livelihood, social welfare 
and public investment projects would not be affected. The SAR Government spent less than 
half  of  the  fiscal  revenue  over  the  preceding  five  years  (2010-2014),  thereby  accumulating 
comfortable  reserves  of  MOP  345  billion3  (as  of  the  end  of  2015)  to  cope  with  economic 
fluctuations.  The  fiscal  surplus  for  2015,  however,  was  substantially  reduced  and  stood  at 
MOP 29.3 billion, compared to over MOP 90 billion in the previous two years. In his policy 
address for 2016, Chief Executive Chui Sai On warned that gaming revenue would continue 
to drop, but confirmed that it would not affect livelihoods. He also said that various subsidies 
for residents would be increased and that the cash handout policy that has been in place since 
2008 would be continued. Permanent residents would receive MOP 9 000 and non-permanent 
residents MOP 5 400 in 2016, similar to the amounts they received in 2015. 

The  Chief  Executive’s  policy  address  also  charted  a  roadmap  to  strengthen  the  economy. 
Among  the  key  initiatives  were  measures  to  promote  healthy  development  of  the  gaming 
industry;  to  intensify  the  development  of  the  ‘Centre  and  Platform’  policy;  to  create  a 
favourable  environment  for  emerging  industries  and  support  local  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises  (SMEs);  to  protect  the  employment  rights  of  local  residents;  and  to  strengthen 
regional cooperation. ‘Centre and Platform’ has to do with transforming Macao into a world 
centre  for  tourism  and  leisure  and  a  commercial  and  trade  cooperation  service  platform 
between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. 

In  keeping  with  the  efforts  to  diversify  the  economy  through  cross-border  cooperation  with 
the mainland, the governments of Zhuhai and Macao launched the Hengqin Pilot Free Trade 
Zone  (FTZ)  in  April.  A  total  of  33  projects  were  selected  for  Hengqin  and  875  Macao 
companies  registered  their  commercial  operations  in  order  to  conduct  business  in  the  FTZ. 
Both  sides  also  explored  easier  access  to  the  FTZ  for  Macao-licensed  vehicles.  The  Macao 
authorities  encouraged  SMEs  and  young  entrepreneurs  to  cooperate  with  the  mainland  on 
Hengqin projects.   

2 According to figures released by the Financial Services Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, direct taxes 

from gaming contributed to 82.5 % of the fiscal revenue in 2014 and 77 % in  2015. 

3 Source:  Monetary Authority of Macao 

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In December, the State Council of the PRC decreed that Macao’s coastal waters covering an 
area of 85 square kilometres (and part of the Duck Channel as well as the plot of land where 
the Barrier Gate checkpoint is located) would fall under the SAR’s jurisdiction. As a result, 
the size of Macao’s demarcated coastal waters is three times that of its land area. Macao has 
never  previously  had  jurisdiction  over  its  coastal  waters.  Furthermore,  in  early  2016  Macao 
and  the  respective  Chinese  authorities  are  due  to  sign  three  agreements  to  enhance 
cooperation  in  the  areas  of  water  affairs,  maritime  traffic  and  sea  use.  The  agreements  will 
stipulate that proposals for land reclamation are to be submitted to the State Council and no 
commercial gaming is to be permitted in new land reclamations. 

Macao’s  integration  with  the  mainland  continued  apace  under  their  bilateral  free  trade 
agreement, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). In November, Macao and 
China signed an agreement on trade in services under which China is to fully or partially open 
up to the Macao services industry in 153 sectors as from 1 June 2016. China pledged to fully 
liberalise trade in services with Macao by the end of 2015. 

Macao  remains  vulnerable  to  money  laundering  as  its  massive  gaming  sector  provides 
avenues for illegal money flowing out of the mainland. To counter this, in August, Macao and 
China  signed  a  landmark  agreement  to  significantly  increase  cooperation  and  improve  the 
implementation  of  suggestions  by  the  Financial  Action  Task  Force.  The  new  cooperation 
agreement  took  the  form  of  a  memorandum  of  understanding  between the Macao Monetary 
Authority (AMCM) and the People’s Bank of China. Observers criticised the agreement for 
its  lack  of  clarity  and  detail  and  questioned  the  legitimacy  of  the  handing  over  of  sensitive 
personal  information  by  the  AMCM  to  the  Chinese  Central  Bank.  In  parallel,  Macao’s 
Financial  Intelligence  Office  (the  government  office  responsible  for  combating  money 
laundering)  signed  anti-money  laundering  cooperation  protocols  with  the  U.S.  Financial 
Crimes  Enforcement  Network,  the  Russian  Federal  Financial  Monitoring  Service,  and  the 
Financial Intelligence Unit of the UK. Macao has previously signed protocols of cooperation 
with  Portugal,  Hong  Kong,  South  Korea,  Indonesia,  the  Philippines,  Thailand,  Japan, 
Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji Islands and Australia. 

Macao has responded to the global call for action against tax evasion. In September 2014, the 
Macao SAR government announced that Macao will adopt the Global Standard for Automatic 
Exchange  of  Financial  Account  Information  sponsored  by  the  G20  and  developed  by  the 
OECD. The authorities stated that Macao will amend its laws with a view to ensuring timely 
compliance  with  the  new  standard,  which  means  that  Financial  Institutions  in  Macao  will 
have  to  launch  the  Customer  Due  Diligence  procedures  as  from  1  January  2017  in  order  to 
collect  the  information  to  be  exchanged  starting  from  the  following  year.  Unlike  Mainland 
China,  Macao  has  not  however  yet  confirmed  its  preparedness  to  be  committed  to  the 
comprehensive OECD/Council of Europe Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative 
Assistance  in  Tax  Matters  and,  as  a  consequence,  has  not  adhered  to  the  related  Common 
Reporting Standard Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (CRS – MCAA), to which 
all  the  EU  Member  States  are  parties.  The  CRS-MCAA,  subject  to  a  rather  straightforward 
procedure  of  bilateral  activation,  provides  a  suitable  legal  basis  for  the  actual  and  effective 

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implementation  of  international  cooperation  under  the  OECD  standard  for  Automatic 
Exchange  of  Financial  Account  Information  between  all  its  partners,  avoiding  the  need  for 
lengthy bilateral negotiations. 

In  the  environmental  field,  in  2015  the  SAR  Government  launched  a  feasibility  study  for  a 
recycling  network.  The  SAR  authorities  see  regional  cooperation  as  the  key  to  a  better 
environment. Macao has limited space to accommodate recycling network facilities and may 
have to rely on the mainland to provide land resources. 

On external policy, the government continued to boost Macao’s role as a service platform for 
trade  and  economic  cooperation  between  China  and  Portuguese-speaking  countries.  It 
supported  the  operations  of  the  Sino-Portuguese  Cooperation  Development  Fund,  and 
promoted  Macao  as  a  bridge  for  trade  and  investment  between  China  and  Portuguese-
speaking countries. 

EU-Macao bilateral relations 

Notwithstanding  the  sharp  contraction  in  Macao's  economy,  EU-Macao  bilateral  trade 
increased  significantly  in  2015.  Total  trade  in  goods  between  the  EU  and  Macao  surged  by 
39.3%  and  amounted  to  EUR  851  million.    Thanks  to  the  hefty  increase  of  exports  of 
machinery  and  transport  equipment,  EU  exports  to  Macao  increased  by  39.7%  to  EUR  756 
million. Other key export items included luxury goods, food and beverages. EU imports from 
Macao increased by 36.5% to EUR 96 million in 2015. The EU thus recorded a trade surplus 
with  Macao  of  EUR  660  million.  It  remained  Macao's  second  largest  supplier  after  China, 
accounting for 22% of its imports in 2015.4 

The  continued  slowing  of  Macao’s  economy  in  2015  had  an  impact  on  the  EU’s  trade  and 
investment  interests  and  on  the  profits  of  European  ventures.  The  EU  and  its  business 
community are keen to work with the Macao Government in seeking to diversify its economy, 
improve  the  sustainability  of  its  economic  development  and  promote  bilateral  trade  and 
investment flows. 

Bilateral relations between the EU and Macao remained very positive. The 20th meeting of the 
Joint Committee under the EU-Macao Trade and Cooperation Agreement was held in Macao 
on 27 November 2015. The two sides reviewed the latest developments in their relationship, 
took  stock  of  ongoing  bilateral  cooperation  activities  and  explored  new  areas  for  further 
the  Public 
cooperation.  Both  sides  welcomed 
Administration and Civil Service Bureau of the Macao SAR and the Directorate-General for 

the  continued  cooperation  between 

4 Source:  Statistics and Census Service of Macao 

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Interpretation  of  the  European  Commission  for  the  training  of  qualified  interpreters  for  the 
Macao SAR.5  

During the Joint Committee meeting both sides adopted the third Macao SAR-EU cooperation 
programme  in  the  legal  field.  The  programme  aims  to  strengthen  the  Macao  SAR’s  legal 
system  and  improve  training  for  its  legal  practitioners.6 Both  sides  agreed  that  legal 
cooperation was an important element of Macao-EU bilateral relations.  

To promote the participation of the Macao SAR’s research institutions and researchers in the 
EU’s  large-scale  Horizon  2020  programme,  Macao  announced  the  setting-up  of  a  matching 
fund to meet the costs of Macao’s researchers participating in the Horizon 2020 programme. 
This  will  mark  a  new  phase  in  Macao-EU  cooperation  in  research  and  innovation. Finally, 
Macao and the EU expressed their intention to continue cooperating and exchanging know-
how to combat human trafficking.  

The  European  Union  Academic  Programme  (EUAP),  managed  by  a  consortium  led  by  the 
University of Macau, organised many new activities, such as the hosting of visiting speakers, 
seminars, and research and academic exchanges. The EUAP’s outreach activities included its 
first ‘EU photography challenge’, a photo exhibition, the second edition of its EU ‘short-film 
challenge’,  the  ‘European  Film  Cycle’,  and  a  regular  radio  programme  on  the  European 
Union.  An  expanded  third  edition  of  the  popular  ‘Model  European  Union’  simulation  of  a 
European Council meeting took place with the participation of the University of Saint Joseph. 
For  Europe  Day,  the  EUAP  organised  a  series  of  EU  Week  events  and  launched  its  new 
booklet on EU-Macao relations. 

The  Macao  European  Chamber  of  Commerce  (MECC)7  and  the  European  Chamber  of 
Commerce  in  Hong  Kong  together  coordinated  European  participation  in  the  Macao 
International  Environmental  Cooperation  Forum  &  Exhibition  in  March  and  the  Macao 
International Trade and Investment Fair in October. 

In  March  2015,  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  supported  the  ‘Business  Leadership  to  end 
Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery’ conference in Macao. The conference brought 
together  representatives  of  government,  the  gaming  business  and  civil  society.  It  raised 
awareness  and  explored  ways  in  which  businesses  can  contribute  to  fighting  human 
trafficking and modern-day slavery. 

5  A  memorandum  for  a  new  phase  of  the  five-year  training  programme  for  interpretation  was  signed  on  5  November 
2015.The  interpreter  training  programme  meets  the  mutual  needs  of  the  Macao  SAR  and  the  EU  for  qualified 
Chinese and Portuguese interpreters. 

6 The first and second legal cooperation programmes were successfully completed in 2007 and 2013 respectively. 
7 The MECC is a hybrid chamber that has both direct company members and members from the national chambers of EU 
Member  States,  presently  including  the  British  Business  Association  of  Macao,  France  Macau  Business 
Association, German Macau Business Association, the Irish Chamber of Commerce in Macau, the Macao-Romania 
Chamber of Commerce and the Portuguese-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

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The  EU  will  continue  to  work  towards  deepening  its  relationship  with  the  Macao  SAR, 
increasing economic and trade links, improving cooperation with business and civil society, 
and  promoting  mobility  and  exchanges  with  the  people  of  Macao.  Priorities  include  greater 
cooperation to diversify Macao’s economy; maximising the potential benefits of the Mainland 
China-Macao  Closer  Economic  Partnership  Arrangement  (CEPA)  for  both  local  and 
European  companies  established  in  Macao;  cooperation  on  legal  and  regulatory  affairs, 
research  and  innovation,  as  well  as  continued  cooperation  on  the  fight  against  human 
trafficking. 

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