EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE,...

��EU NEWSLETTER

�� EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE, TAIWAN

2011

MAY 5�

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2011 European Year of Volunteering2011��

A Strong Europe with a Human Touch: the Hungarian Presidency��

APAIE 2011 Conference and Exhibition2011!"�#$%�&'$%(

EU Roadmap for Moving to a Low-carbon Economy by 2050��) �*+,-.�/2050

34678Šiauliai, Lithuania

Bidding Farewell to Guy Ledoux

MAY 2011 ��9: EU NEWSLETTER.

Bidding Farewell to Guy Ledoux

Bidding Farewell to Guy Ledoux2

Guy Ledoux, former Head of the EuropeanEconomic and Trade Office in Taipei, left Taiwan inJanuary 2011 to take up his new posting in thePhilippines. Prior to his four-year tenure in Taipei,Mr Ledoux had a lso he ld pos i t i ons a t EUHeadquarters in Brussels, and as an EU delegate inSouth Korea and Tunisia. Over the past four years,he has made a major contribution in Taiwan in suchfields as trade and investment, intellectual propertyrights, the creation of the EU Centre, science andtechnology, and the EU visa waiver for Taiwanesepassport holders.

Trading relations between the EU and Taiwanpeaked in 2010. Taiwan was the EU's 14th largesttrading partner, putting it on a par with South Africaand Saudi Arabia, and not far behind Canada. In2010, Taiwan exports to the EU were up 30%, whileEU exports to Taiwan recorded a 35% increase. TheEU remains Taiwan's largest foreign investor,accounting for 31.5% of all foreign investment inTaiwan in 2010.

The September 2008 seminar with the NationalScience Council, resulted in the creation of anational contact point, and cooperation between theEU and Taiwan on science and technology hasincreased significantly. Seminars on 450mm wafer,the Galileo Satellite projects and the opening ofthematic national contact points in Taiwan haveshown that Europe and Taiwan can work effectivelytogether on many S&T fronts.

The creation of the EU Centre proved to be anothersignificant event during Mr Ledoux's four-yeartenure. It acts as a focal point for cooperation withseven universities, strengthening the chain ofcommunicat ion between Taiwanese decis ion-makers and the EU, and boosting the Taiwan general

public's understanding of the EU. The Centre'suniversity-channelled communication approachhas resulted in a wide range of activities withregard to academic programmes about the EU,and the organisation of various conferences,websites and a newsletter.

One of the biggest recent landmark events on EU-Taiwan relations was the introduction of visa-freetravel for Taiwanese citizens to EU countries. Inthe past, travellers would have expected to wait atleast a week or more for the visa applicationprocess to be completed. The process has nowbecome obsolete, with the visa waiver allowinghassle-free travel between Taiwan and EUcountries. This major milestone for Taiwan will be

bound to improve business and tourism relations.

Mr Ledoux strove to promote artistic exchangesbetween the EU and Taiwan, pr inc ipal ly bymaintaining and developing the EU film festival inTaiwan's universities. As a result, the Louvre in Parishas enlisted the creative input of world-classTaiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang. Within the pastyear, a major effort has been made through theTAEDP film festival to get the death penaltyabolished.

Mr Ledoux wanted to see increased investment fromTaiwan to the EU; he also saw great potential in jointresearch to develop new products with the ITindustry. The sustained effort in the field of climatechange, global research and reducing greenhousegas emissions is also expected to continue on a highlevel.

Mr Ledoux says that he has enjoyed his post and thetime he has spent in Taiwan, specifically noting thefriendly nature of the Taiwan people. He recognisesthe geographical handicaps of the island, while alsopraising the successful democracy that Taiwan hasmanaged to develop over the years. He firmlybelieves that despite the hardships and challenges,much can be achieved with the proper commitmentand tenacity.

'I and my wife will miss the friends and colleagueswho have helped us to understand Taiwan and itspeople. We will never forget and always cherish thekind, remarkably polite, very friendly and warmtreatment that Taiwanese people have alwaysextended to us.' Mr Ledoux will continue his work inthe Philippines, as the new EU ambassador andhead of delegation in Manila.

3Bidding Farewell to Guy Ledoux

��9: EU NEWSLETTER . MAY 2011

4 2011 European Year of Volunteering

2011 European Year of Volunteering

100 million citizens in the European Union engage involuntary activities during their free time: either togive something back to their communities, or protectthe environment, or help countries in need. Theseunsung heroes and the thousands of volunteerorganisations throughout Europe have a directimpact on people's lives and strengthen the commonEU values of solidarity and social cohesion. Tohonour this humanitarian spirit and to encouragemore Europeans to join in, the EU decided todesignate 2011 as European Year of Volunteering(EYV).

'Volunteer! Make a difference' is the slogan for theEuropean Year of Volunteering, as presented inBrussels by the European Commission at the launchof the EYV on 2 December 2010. By focusing onvolunteering in 2011, the EU hopes to achieve fourmain objectives: to create a facilitating environmentfor volunteers and related organisat ions; toempower them and work towards improving thequality of voluntary work; to reward and recognisevoluntary activities; to raise awareness of the valueand importance of volunteering. Together, theEuropean Parliament and the EU Council hasallocated a budget of € 8 million for the year and anadditional € 3 million to prepare for it.

The EU has planned a wide range of activitiest h r o u g h o u t 2 0 11 , i n c l u d i n g f o u r t h e m e dconferences, the EYV 2011 Tour, the EYV Relay andthe EYV website.

The themed conferences are conceived as platformsfor discussion between Member States, highlightingkey issues related to volunteering. The first focusedon 'Recognition of Volunteering' and took placeearlier this year on 8 January, in Budapest. Thesecond, with the theme of 'Celebrating volunteersand their valuable contribution' will take placesometime in May or June, followed by a thirdc o n f e r e n c e o n ' E m p o w e r i n g v o l u n t e e r i n gorganisations', scheduled for October, and the'Closing conference on future chal lenges' inDecember.

The EYV 2011 Tour will visit all 27 EU MemberStates over a one-year period. Each stage of thetour in each Member State will last something liketen days. The tour will give local volunteers andvoluntary organisations the opportunity to exhibittheir work, meet one another, engage with policy-

makers and the general public and convey theirenergy and enthusiasm, as well as the chance todiscuss key issues for the future of their work. Thetour has already kicked off successfully at its firststop – Athens, from 17 March to 23 March, bringingtogether important state representatives and peoplefrom all walks of life.

Alongside the Tour proper, a relay team consisting of27 European volunteers, one from each MemberState and with backgrounds in journalism, will covereach stage of the tour. They will share stories fromvolunteers living in other Member States andproduce a series of video and audio clips andarticles that will be broadcast and published in themedia and on the EYV website.

F u l l i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e y e a r c a n b efound on the EYV website on the Europa Portalm a n a g e d b y t h e E u r o p e a n C o m m i s s i o n(www.europa.eu/volunteer ing) . In addi t ion todetailed coverage of EYV activities, the website isalso the main link to EYV websites set up by allMember States and one non-EU country – theRepublic of Croatia – showcasing their contributionsto and support for the year. The website alsofeatures information on the National CoordinatingBodies (NCB) within each Member State, giving allEU citizens a chance to join in the action. The EYVwebsite is also a platform for volunteers andvoluntary organisations right across Europe to sharetheir stories and to exchange experiences and bestpractices. A campaign toolbox, audio clips on thebenefits of volunteering, and other promotionalmaterial can also be found on the website.


52011 European Year of Volunteering


6 A Strong Europe with a Human Touch: the Hungarian Presidency

A Strong Europe with a Human Touch:the Hungarian Presidency

.The Presidency of the Council of the EuropeanUnion is a rotating one, with each of its MemberStates in turn taking over responsibility for a periodof six months. During this period, the country inoffice is in charge of organising the agenda andaffairs of the EU consisting of 27 Member States, tosuit its own priorities. The Presidency is not a one-man job; instead, it is led by the respective nationalgovernment. Being the last member of the Spanish-Belgian-Hungarian Presidency group, Hungary tookover on 1 January 2011 and became the country inoffice for the first time.

The Hungarian Presidency's motto is 'StrongEurope'. During Hungary's six-month tenure, thehuman factor will be the focal point. Hungary's aim isto help create an economically, socially, politicallyand institutionally stronger and more attractiveEurope.

,

The Hungarian Presidency will focus on four priorityareas:

1. Growth, jobs and social inclusion: Theeconomic crisis in recent years has shown that an e w r e g u l a t o r y f r a m e w o r k f o r e c o n o m i cdevelopment is needed. In order to be competitive,Europe needs a stable system of economiccoordination; a more efficient employment policy byimplementing the Europe 2020 Strategy, the ten-year strategy for reviving economy of the EuropeanUnion, and concentrating on job creation.

2. Stronger Europe: An internally unified Europeis essential, and by maintaining strong and effectivecommon policies, the EU will be able to build on its

foundation and protect the future. One of theHungarian Presidency's tasks is to review the futuredevelopment of strong European policies, and toensure that funding policies which were developed50 years ago are modernised and made effective. Aninternally stronger Europe will be more competitiveglobally and more efficient externally.

3. A Union close to its citizens: Citizens want tolive in a safe Europe; hence measures need to betaken to guarantee citizens' rights and freedoms. Itis the Presidency's task to protect the interests ofthe citizens. The EU has created many opportunitiesbut these opportunities exist only when the citizensknow how to make use of them. Further steps areneeded to bring citizens and institutions closertogether. Institutions that are close to the citizenscan point the way.

4. Enlarging responsibly and engaging globally:The European Union has become bigger andstronger with new states joining; it is now vital toenlarge responsibly so that the EU can bringstability, peace and cohesion to its citizens. TheLisbon Treaty has established a new way of dealingwith the external relations of the European Union bycreating the European External Action Service. ThePresidency, working within the Treaty, will alsohonour its international commitments globally.

With the agenda centred on the human factor, theseare the priorities that the Hungarian Presidencywishes to work on throughout the first half of 2011.Whilst integrating 27 Member States as a singlewhole, another focus is the family; the HungarianPresidency wishes to create a tradition by stressingthe importance of family and children.

is an agenda tohighlight demographic changes and family issues inEurope, given the growing scale of unfavourabledemographic trends. Consequently, the Presidencywill concentrate on family policy that encouragespeople to have children and youth policies thatprepare young people for family life. The Presidencyalso proposes to make 2014 the European Year ofFamilies.

The Hungarian Presidency's main priority areaspreserve the fundamental values of the EuropeanUnion, and concurrently create cohesion in Europe.Its overarching goal is to put Europe at the service ofits citizens by strengthening the integration ofEurope.

,

,

Europe for

Families, Families for Europe


7A Strong Europe with a Human Touch: the Hungarian Presidency


8 APAIE 2011 Conference and Exhibition

This year, the National Taiwan University hosted the6th APAIE Conference and Exhibition from 9 Marchto 12 March. It brought together nearly 750delegates from 400 institutions in over 40 countries,with the EU as the Exhibition's major sponsor.

Recognised as one of the most influential educationconferences worldwide, each year the Asia-PacificAssociation for International Education (APAIE)gathers academics, university leaders and policy-makers from around the globe at a conferencehosted by a specific university in the Asia-Pacificregion.

The theme for the APAIE 2011 conference was AsiaPacific Education: impacting the world.APAIE 2011featured several well-known speakers, including theeminent adviser on global strategy, Dr KenichiOhmae, and Dr Chung-Laung Liu, the formerpresident of National Tsing Hua University.

The conference on 12 March was concluded by thebiggest international education exhibition in the Asiaregion. More than a hundred academic institutionsfrom all over the world took part. The exhibition wasalso open to Taiwanese and international studentswith an interest in international education, a greatoppor tuni ty for par t ic ipants to network wi thprofessionals and for students to gather informationfor overseas study.

Th i s yea r i n the APAIE 2011 Con fe rence ,par t i c ipan ts were g iven the chance to ge tacquainted with the Erasmus Mundus Programmeand studying in Europe. Erasmus Mundus alsoprovides scholarships to students outside the EU topursue their higher education studies.

Erasmus Mundus is a cooperation and mobilityprogramme in the field of higher education that aimsto enhance the quality of European higher educationand to promote dialogue and understandingbetween people and cultures through cooperationwith countries that are not EU Member States. TheEuropean Commission spares no effort to ensurethat no group of EU citizens or third-countrynationals is excluded or disadvantaged

.The Erasmus Mundus programme comprises three'actions': The first implements joint programmes atMaster's and Doctorate levels and awards individualscholarships/fellowships to participate in theseprogrammes. This is a full-study scholarship forstudents and researchers of exceptional quality

worldwide. The Erasmus Mundus programme 2009-2013 seeks to grant nearly 14 000 scholarships toboth EU and non-EU students.

The second 'action' supports the establishment ofcooperation partnerships between higher educationinstitutions (HEIs) from the EU and outside the EU. Ita lso o f fe rs scho la rsh ips o f vary ing leng th ,depending on the priorities for the third countriesconcerned. There is also scope for mobility thatdoes not necessarily have to link to specificprogrammes so long as programmes on offer inpartner HEIs can be followed.

Action three provides support for transnationalinitiatives, studies, projects, events and otheractivities aimed at enhancing the attractiveness,profile, image and visibility of, and access to,European higher education in the world. It covers allaspects of higher education, taking various formssuch as conferences, workshops and projects. Italso offers mobility anywhere in the world as long asthe initiative promotes European HE in specificgeographical areas.

In recent years, Taiwan has also been an activeparticipant in the Erasmus Mundus programmes. Sofar more than 80 students have taken part and oneTaiwanese university is also a current associatedpartner with the Erasmus Mundus Master's Courses.

In addition, the European Commission has adaptedthe European Credit Transfer and AccumulationSystem (ECTS). For higher education, ECTS makesteaching and learning more transparent andfacilitates the recognition of all courses. ECTS isused throughout Europe for credit transfer, andcredit accumulation informs curriculum design andquality assurance. The system makes it possible totransfer learning experiences between institutions,facilitates student mobility and offers more flexibleroutes to gain degrees. It also aids curriculumdesign and quality assurance.

The 2012 APAIE Conference and Exhibition will behosted by the Mahidel University, Bangkok, Thailandfrom 4 April to 6 April 2012, centring on the theme:'Asia Pacif ic University Social Responsibi l i ty:Knowledge for the Benefits of Mankind.'

APAIE 2011 Conference and Exhibition


9APAIE 2011 Conference and Exhibition


EU Roadmap for Moving to a Low-carbon Economy by 2050

The EU will make this transition by living andworking in low-energy and low-emission buildings,with intelligent heating and cooling systems. Peoplewill drive electric and hybrid cars and live in cleanercities with less air pollution and better publictransport.

The transition would give Europe's economy a boostby increasing investment in clean technologies andclean energy. Europe could cut most of its emissionsand reduce its use of key resources like oil and gas,raw materials, land and water.

A low-carbon economy would have a much greaterneed for renewable sources of energy, energy-efficient building materials, hybrid and electric cars,' s m a r t g r i d ' e q u i p m e n t , l o w - c a r b o n p o w e rgenerat ion and carbon capture and storagetechnologies.

To make the transition to a low-carbon economy andto reap such benefits as a lower oil bill the EU wouldneed to invest an additional € 270 billion or 1.5% ofits GDP annually, on average, over the next fourdecades. The extra investments will bring us back toinvestment levels from before the economic crisisand will spur growth within a wide range ofmanufacturing sectors and environmental servicesin Europe. By stepping up climate action 1.5 millionadditional jobs could be created by 2020.

The key driver for this transition will be energyefficiency. By 2050, the energy sector, householdsa n d b u s i n e s s c o u l d r e d u c e t h e i r e n e r g yconsumption by around 30% compared to 2005,while enjoying more and better energy services atthe same time.

More locally produced energy would be used, mostlyfrom renewable sources. As a result, the EU wouldbe less dependent on expensive imports of oil andgas from outside the EU and our economies wouldbe less vulnerable to rising oil prices. On average,the EU could save €175 - €320 billion annually onfuel costs over the next forty years.

With the 'Climate change policy package', and the'Roadmap for moving towards a low-carboneconomy in 2050', the EU is determined to transformi tse l f – not jus t fo r the bet te rment o f theenvironment, but for Europe's standard of living andeconomic viability.

EU Roadmap for Moving toa Low-carbon Economy by 2050

10

The European Commission is looking at cost-efficient ways to make the European economy moreclimate-friendly and less energy-consuming. By2050, Europe could have cut most of its greenhousegas emissions, with clean technologies seen as thefuture for Europe's economy.

The European Union is making real efforts to reduceits greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past twodecades, emissions have gone down by 16%,whereas the economy has grown by 40% over thes a m e p e r i o d . I f c u r r e n t p o l i c i e s a r e f u l l yimplemented, the EU is on track to achieve itstargets for 2020 of reducing emissions to 20% below1990 levels and raising the share of renewables in

its energy mix to 20%. We are currently only halfwaytowards the third goal for 2020 – improving energyefficiency by 20%; much greater efforts will beneeded to meet this target.

In March 2011, the European Commission presentedthe 'Roadmap for moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050'. The EU is looking beyondthe 2020 objectives and setting out a plan to meetthe long-term target of reducing domestic emissionsby 80 to 95% by mid-century as agreed by EuropeanHeads of State and Government. It shows how thesectors responsible for Europe's emissions – powergeneration, industry, transport, bui ldings andconstruction, and agriculture – can make thetransition to a low-carbon economy over the comingdecades.


EU Roadmap for Moving to a Low-carbon Economy by 2050


11

Šiauliai, Lithuania

Šiauliai is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 129,075. It is the capital of Šiauliai County, andUnofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.

The city was first mentioned in written sources as Saule in Livonian Order chronicles describing the battle of Saule. Thusthe city's founding date is now considered to be September 22, 1236, the same date when the battle took place, in whichthe native Lithuanians defeated the invading Teutonic Crusaders not far from the contemporary Šiauliai. At first itdeveloped as a defence post against the raids by the Teutonic and Livonian Orders. After the battle of Grunwald in 1410,the raids stopped and Šiauliai started to develop as an agricultural settlement. In 1445, a wooden church was built. Itwas replaced in 1634 with the brick church which can be seen in the city centre today.

The city was found at the junction of the railway and highroad and that ensured not only rapid development but dramaticdestiny as well. It was severe destroyed during the World War I and World War II. Good geographical position and theroads decided rebuilding and rapid development of the city. St. Peter and Paul's Cathedral is the most beautifulmonument of Renaissance in Lithuania and can be seen at a distance. There is the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai whichattracts visitors from all over the world. The city is proud of the pedestrian avenue which is the first central street inLithuania given for pedestrians.

Culture life in the city is full of original events which invite the citizens and the guests of the town to join in. TheInternational Church Music Festival is held every spring during Easter week. The members of International Grand-pianoDuet festival gather in spring every two years. Šiauliai birthday festival 'Šiauliai Days' which is held annually inSeptember 20-22 is loved by the citizens. Šiauliai University also participates in culture life and organizes theinternational festival 'Student Spring' which is held every two years. The students of Šiauliai Conservatory often giveconcerts to community. The Pupil House organizes the pupils of the city for culture activities. 5 town cultureorganizations are subjected to the city's Municipality, and there are 2 private art galleries as well.

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