Government overlooking parliamentary ties: forum

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The government has underestimated the positive impact of parliamentary diplomacy for too long, but personnel and a budget would be required if it seeks a more active engagement, former officials said yesterday.

Speaking at a symposium held at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Michael Kao (高英茂), Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Lo Fu-chen (羅福全), former Taiwanese representatives to the EU, US and Japan respectively, all recognized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, given Taiwan’s unique political situation.

British expert explains the EU ban on ractopamine

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Use of the animal feed additive ractopamine only benefits meat producers and has negative effects on humans, a British professor who sits on a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel said yesterday.

“Ractopamine usage benefits producers, but not consumers. It is bad for animal welfare and has some bad effects on humans,” Donald Broom, a professor at the University of Cambridge’s department of veterinary medicine, concluded in his 30-minute brief at a forum in Taipei.

New stance on beef talks touted

BARGAINING CHIPS:A DPP lawmaker said Taiwan has leverage as it is the US’ 10th-largest trading partner and it is one of the largest importers of US agricultural products
By Chris Wang  /  Staff Reporter

Taiwan should be able to explore an alternate solution to the dispute over US beef dispute by adopting a different approach to negotiations and using the “art of give and take,” lawmakers said yesterday.

Judging from Taiwan’s total trade volume with the US and the small percentage US beef imports make up in bilateral trade, the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should not take everything the US throws at it, because it has substantial bargaining chips, they said.

Taiwan to step up cooperation with EBRD: foreign ministry

Taipei, April 1 (CNA) Thomas Mirow, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) , will visit Taiwan next week to forge closer links between the bank and Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Friday.

Mirow's visit April 5-7 will also mark the 20th anniversary of Taiwan's cooperation with the EBRD, which is owned by 61 countries and two inter-governmental institutions and supports development in countries from central Europe to central Asia, the MOFA said in a press release.

Mirow, who will be visiting Taiwan for the first time, is scheduled to meet with Vice President Vincent Siew, Vice Premier Sean Chen, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang, Central Bank Governor Perng Fai-nan, Finance Minister Lee Sush-der and other high-ranking members of government.

Mirow and Yang will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Taiwan to contribute about US$4 million to the replenishment of the EBRD technical cooperation fund, the MOFA said.

Mirow will also sign an MOU with Taiwan's International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF) for the ICDF to put US$80 million into the EBRD Green Energy Special Fund, the ministry said.

"This is another fine example of the cooperation between the EBRD and Taiwan and I very much look forward to deepening our relationship during my visit," Mirow said.

Taiwan has been cooperating with the EBRD since the bank was established in 1991, contributing to the EBRD Balkan Region Special Fund, the Mongolia Cooperation Fund, the Early Transition Countries Fund and the Sustainable Energy Initiative.

Taiwanese companies have also increased their activities in the EBRD region in recent years, in areas such as helping with the establishment of an electronic ticket system for the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and holding seminars on mass transportation for officials from Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Romania, according to the MOFA. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

EU unlikely to lift arms embargo on China: MOFA

Taipei, March 29 (CNA) There are currently no proposals on the table to lift the European Union's 21-year arms embargo on China, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.

"There are no major institutions putting forward any such proposal... and the original factors that had led to the embargo have not yet been removed, " said Jeffrey Chuan-chin Kau, deputy director-general of the MOFA's Department of European Affairs, at a regular media briefing.

The EU imposed the embargo after the 1989 Tiananmen Incident, but human rights conditions in China remain a concern and, to date, China has not ruled out the use of force, if necessary, to annex Taiwan, Kau noted.

In addition, he said, the United States and Japan are both opposed to any lifting of the EU embargo.

It was reported in the international and local media in January that the EU was considering lifting the arms embargo on China. However, the story was denied by Guy Ledoux, then-head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, the bloc's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official ties.

Ledoux told CNA in January that "there was no new element that would have influence on why the EU should suddenly change its position."

Lifting of the embargo was mentioned in an internal review by the EU of its relations with China, as officials tried to break down the pros and cons of different options and developments, Kau said.

In related news, Kau said that Taiwan's executions of nine death row inmates in the past year will not affect its overall relations with the EU.

Taiwan is keen on signing a Trade Enhancement Measures (TEM) or Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) with the EU to further liberalize trade, he said.

"We know that Taiwan was not on the EU's priority list for free trade agreement negotiations, " he said. "That's why we have been trying to tell our European friends that we want to move up the ladder." (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

Taiwan to resist pressure on death penalty: justice minister

Taipei, March 9 (CNA) Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu said Wednesday at a legislative hearing that Taiwan would continue to respect the rule of law and continue enforcement of the death penalty despite condemnation from the European Union (EU).

Speaking at a hearing of the Legislative Yuan's Judiciary Committee just five days after Taiwan executed five death row inmates, Tseng said Taiwan was determined to govern according to the law, and he promised legislators that he "can handle any pressure."

The five executions have been condemned by the EU, the European Parliament and many human rights groups, including Amnesty International, since being carried on March 4.

In response to lawmakers' questions, Tseng said he had not received any information on reported suggestions by EU parliamentarians to scrap Taiwan's EU visa-waiver treatment because of the executions.

There was no linkage between the two issues, Tseng said, because Taiwan did not make any promises on stopping or suspending the implementation of the death penalty to the EU during the bloc's screening of an EU visa-waiver for Taiwan, which took effect on Jan. 11.

But he noted that Taiwan would explain its stance on its continued use of capital punishment to the EU to deal with the concerns it has raised.

Taiwan's March 4 executions were carried out less than a year after the MOJ resumed the enforcement of the death penalty last April under pressure from the families of victims of violent crime, ending an unofficial moratorium that had existed since 2005.

President Ma Ying-jeou has said Taiwan hoped to abolish the death penalty in the future, but most legislators, pressured by their constituents, oppose the abolition of capital punishment.

Chou Yi, a ruling Kuomintang (KMT) legislator, urged the justice minister at the hearing to carry out executions of death row inmates because "we cannot wait for another year for the next executions."

But Tseng responded that there was no timetable for future executions, saying he could not predict when executions would happen.

The ministry will not deliberately postpone executions, but "there are currently no new execution orders on my desk either, " the minister told lawmakers. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan vessel released from pirate control: EU Navy

Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) Taiwanese fishing vessel Taiyuan 227 had been released after being hijaced by Somali pirates for nine months, European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR Somalia) said Saturday Taiwan Time.

"Although exact details surrounding the situation are not known at this time, there are indications that the Taiwanese flagged fishing vessel TAI YUAN 227 has been released from pirate control, " the naval military operation -- codenamed Operation Atlanta -- established to protect maritime security said in a release posted on its website.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is trying to confirm the news, " Bruno C.H. Shen, deputy director-general of the MOFA's Department of African Affairs, told CNA by telephone Saturday morning.

"We have not received related information or contact from the crew so far, " he said.

The Kaohsiung-based longliner with 28 crew members from China, Vietnam, Kenya, Mozambique and the Philippines was held May 6 last year while operating northeast of the Seychelles.

The vessel's owner "apparently received a call from the master stating that they had been released but that they did not know why, " EUNAVFOR said in the release, adding that the crew were provided with fresh water and food by a United States warship after their release.

Taiyuan 227, which had likely been used as a pirate mothership until three days ago according to the EUNAVFOR, is now heading away from Somalia.

Latest statistics of the EUNAVFOR showed that there are two Taiwanese fishing vessels still in the hands of pirates-- Zechuntsai No. 68 and Shiuh Fu No. 1, which were hijacked in March and December of last year, respectively.

There are 30 vessels and 711 hostages being held by Somali pirates as of Friday, according to the statistics. (By Chris Wang) enditem/jc

European countries mulling establishing offices in Taiwan: official

Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Several European countries are considering establishing offices in Taiwan, as the country has lowered tensions with China and has been granted visa-waiver privileges for the European Union, Deputy Foreign Minister Shen Lyushun said Friday.

With the visa-waiver and the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with China both going into effect in January, many European countries are trying to gain leverage and several of them might set up offices in Taiwan, Shen said at a luncheon hosted by the European Chambers of Commerce in Taipei (ECCT).

He declined to specify to which countries he was referring, saying that "it is too early to announce anything."

The diplomat, who is familiar with European affairs, having previously served in Geneva and Brussels, also said two more European countries or oversea territories are on the way to granting Taiwanese passport holders visa exemptions, which will push the total number of countries extending the privilege to Taiwan to 99.

The EU visa-waiver was one of Taiwan's great diplomatic accomplishments of the past year, Shen said in his speech, titled "New chapter in EU-Taiwan relations."

Shen highlighted Taiwan's extensive efforts to make Taipei the most business- and tourism-friendly city in East Asia, with measures including the signing of the ECFA and agreements with China on shipping and aviation, as well as on intellectual property rights.

These measures can all help foreign businessmen in Taiwan, he told the ECCT.

Shen said that the next tangible target in EU-Taiwan development will be the signing of trade enhancement measures, which he described as "something similar to a free trade agreement."

He acknowledged that the topic could be "politically sensitive" due to possible opposition from China, but said the EU and Taiwan could use a block-building approach, starting signing other agreements on issues such as avoidance of double-taxation and investment promotion.

"At the end of the day, the lack of diplomatic ties still hurts Taiwan," Shen said as he urged European countries to be more active on the issue. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

EU-Taiwan trade arrangements on right track: envoy

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) Negotiations on trade arrangements between the European Union (EU) and Taiwan are on the right track despite imbalance in bilateral trade and investment, according to a top EU diplomat in Taipei.

While they are still exploring the feasibility for a deal similar to a free trade agreement, both sides have already started to collaborate in various areas that could have a huge impact, said Guy Ledoux, chief of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, the bloc's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official bilateral ties.

Taiwan has turned to other major trade partners, including the EU, for possible FTA's after signing a historical pact called the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China last June to liberalize two-way trade.

In an interview the Central News Agency on Friday, Ledoux said that the EU received positive and constructive feedback from Taiwan in the annual consultation held in Brussels last November, which showed that the process is "on the right track."

"Brussels hasn't forgotten Taiwan…If there is will on the Taiwanese side to make progress, the EU will also find the resources to engage in dialogues, " Ledoux, said, noting that the EU has never interrupted the annual consultations with any excuse.

Ledoux will soon be re-assigned to the Philippines after heading the EU office in Taiwan for four years.

The EU and Taiwan have started collaboration in three different areas -- investment, public procurement and standards, he said, and if someday there would be negotiation on the Trade Enhance Measures (TEM), the temporary name of an EU-Taiwan FTA, those three elements will be part of such an arrangement.

However, there have been two major imbalances between the two sides -- export and investment -- which "need to be corrected, " he said.

According to the diplomat, Taiwan has a significant amount -- roughly 30 billion Euros -- of export to the EU and, while the EU is Taiwan's largest foreign investor, Taiwanese companies have invested very little in EU countries.

There has not been any progress in terms of Taiwan's investment in Europe during his four years in Taiwan despite the energy his office has devoted to investment promotion, he said.

"Maybe we haven't touched the right button, " he lamented, adding that investing in China has been also the "easy choice" for Taiwanese companies.

The French-born diplomat said Taiwanese businessmen tended to forget the size of the European economy, which is around 14 trillion euros, compared to China's 5 trillion.

While a two-percent growth for Europe is not as impressive as a 10-percent growth in the Chinese economy, the EU is adding 300 billion euros -- about the size of the Taiwanese economy -- to the size of its own economy each year, he noted.

He hoped that the recent Schengen visa exemption to Taiwanese passport holders will make it easier for Taiwan business people to fly to Europe to meet partners and explore business opportunities.

Ledoux also said he didn't think a European Commission decision last December to slap a total of 433.92 million euro fines on a group of Taiwanese manufacturers would impact bilateral trade relations.

AU Optronics, Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp., Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. and HannStar Display Corp. were fined for for allegedly fixing prices in violation of the EU's competition rules after Samsung, their South Korean competitor, blew the whistle.

On the anger of some Taiwan business leaders over Samsung's behavior, Ledoux said the EU underlined the importance of a level playing field.

Even though many people said the mechanism was unfair, it is "the way......to make sure that somebody's going to blow the whistle to tell you that something is going on."

Regarding media reports of a possible lifting of the EU's 21-year arms embargo on China, Ledoux said that there was no new element that would have influence on why the EU should suddenly change its position, but he declined to elaborate. (By Chris Wang) enditem/jc

EU's Taiwan head to be posted in the Philippines

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) Guy Ledoux, the European Union's (EU's) representative to Taiwan, will be finishing his four-year term before the end of the month and then head on to the Philippines, Ledoux confirmed in an interview with the Central News Agency Friday.

Before moving to his new posting, the diplomat on Friday celebrated the EU's decision to grant Taiwan visa waiver status with President Ma Ying-jeou in a ceremony hosted by the Presidential Office.

The visa exemption for Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders to the Schengen area countries and others on its periphery is scheduled to take effect Jan. 11.

Ledoux, who assumed his post in Taiwan in March 2007, said the visa waiver was among the major achievements in the development of EU-Taiwan relations over the past four years and was probably the one thing that most people will remember.

But a number of other achievements were also worth mentioning, he said.

"The EU has been more proactive in terms of expressing its views on cross-Strait relations and Taiwan in recent years, " he said, adding that the bloc's goal is to have a common foreign policy to express its view on various issues in the international arena.

For example, the EU has issued statements on the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement -- a trade pact between Taiwan and China -- the visa-waiver policy, and Taiwan's elections, he said.

On the economic and trade front, the EU and Taiwan have nearly resolved a major trade dispute on compulsory licensing, he said, and he expected Taiwan's accession to the Government Procurement Agreement to be beneficiary to both sides.

Another major step forward was the opening in 2009 of an EU Center to promote awareness of the economic and political union of 27 European countries, Ledoux said.

The EU also extended a helping hand to victims of Typhoon Morakot, a devastating typhoon which killed hundreds of Taiwanese in 2009, including supplies provided by Sweden and Poland, he added.

The diplomat said he was appointed last September by Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as the EU's representative to Manila, but the posting was not confirmed until the Philippines granted an accreditation in late December.

The posting is a part of the annual rotation of some 130 EU delegations around the world, Ledoux said, with roughly 30 posts changing personnel every year. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Possible lifting of EU's China arms embargo raises concerns

Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's lawmakers expressed concern on Wednesday over the European Union's (EU's) possible lifting of its arms embargo on China, but the country's foreign minister believed that the embargo would be maintained.

The EU's need for consensus in policy-making, China's poor human rights record, and the rapidly changing situation in East Asia were among the factors that would likely keep the 21-year arms embargo in place, Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang said at a hearing held by the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and Defense Committee.

The EU imposed an arms embargo on China after the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, but calls to lift it have emerged in recent years.

The French newspaper Le Figaro reported on Dec. 30 that, according to a source close to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the lifting of the embargo "could happen very quickly."

The newspaper said that the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany had lowered their opposition to the idea.

Yang acknowledged that there have been several EU member countries advocating ending the embargo, but he said the position was not expected to win unanimous support.

The issue was raised at an EU summit in mid-December, but the 27 leaders of the bloc did not reach a conclusion, Yang said, adding that China's poor human rights record, which had not improved in past decades, was still of grave concern to the EU.

During the questioning of Yang, KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-min suggested that the bloc was likely to lift the embargo "sooner or later" because of Europe's economic woes.

But Yang replied that other countries would also weigh in on the decision, saying that the United States and Japan had both expressed concerns over a possible ending of the embargo because "it would severely impact the security balance in the Pacific region and East Asia. " (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

President, premier laud Taiwan's diplomatic achievements

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Wu Den-yih lauded Taiwan's diplomatic achievements on New Year's Day, saying that the government's policy of flexible diplomacy has won Taiwan the respect of the international community.

"You don't often see a country with as few diplomatic allies as Taiwan -- we have only 23 -- being so active and energetic internationally, " the president said at an exhibition organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Taipei Guest House.

Ma cited the increase in the number of countries or regions granting Taiwan visa-waiver privileges since he took office in May 2008 -- from 53 to 96 -- as an example of the country's diplomatic advances.

He attributed the increase not only to those countries' respect and trust of Taiwanese passport holders but also to recognition of Taiwan's efforts in relaxing cross-Taiwan Strait tensions.

Taiwan's pragmatism and flexible approach in its diplomacy has won praise around the world and stopped a diplomatic war with China to entice each other's allies -- often with cash -- to change their allegiances.

Taiwan has also repeatedly shown that it could contribute to the international community, evidenced by the humanitarian relief effort after its Caribbean ally of Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake last January, Ma said.

He also lauded the charitable works abroad of such nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as the well-known Tsu Chi Foundation, World Vision Taiwan, and Taiwan Foundation for Children and Families.

These efforts have demonstrated the soft power that Taiwan has been able to utilize in participating in the international community, he said.

Ma acknowledged, however, the importance of regular diplomacy, saying that he still remembered how "uncomfortable" he felt as a New York University law student in the mid-1970s when he first read about the United States Court for China, which existed from 1906 to 1943 and had extraterritorial jurisdiction over U.S. citizens in China.

Speaking at the same occasion, Premier Wu highlighted the European Union (EU) visa-waiver program, which is scheduled to take effect Jan. 11 and give Taiwanese passport holders visa-free exemption to 35 European countries.

He described it as one of the most important diplomatic achievements of the past year and as a signal that the EU "completely respects, trusts and accepts the 23 million people of Taiwan."

Wu said Taiwan's diplomatic achievements were reflected by two numbers: inbound arrivals surpassed 5 million for the first time ever in a single year in 2010 and the growth rate of cargo and passenger volume at Taoyuan International Airport in 2010 both ranked ahead of those of the other Asian Tigers -- Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan's Schengen visa waiver to take effect Jan. 11: EETO

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) The visa waiver privilege for Taiwan passport holders to the Schengen Area and three European Union (EU) member states will take effect Jan. 11, 2011, the EU's representative office in Taiwan said Wednesday.

The decision to lift visa requirements for Taiwan citizens will be published in the Dec. 22 issue of the Official Journal of the EU and will take effect 20 days from that date, said Guy Ledoux, head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taipei.

"We finally know the first day that Taiwan visitors will be able to visit Europe without a visa," he said. "That will be the 11th of January next year."

He said that an expected rise in the number of Taiwanese visitors to the EU signals a need to increase the number of flights between Taiwan and the EU -- the world's largest economy with 500 million inhabitants.

The visa waiver allows Taiwanese travelers to enter countries covered under the exemption for stays of up to 90 days within a six-month period.

The exemption applies to 25 Schengen Area countries, comprising 22 EU member states and three non-EU states -- Norway, Iceland and Switzerland -- and three non-Schengen EU member states -- Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

It also includes seven smaller European countries and territories -- the Vatican, Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Ledoux announced the start date of the visa waiver at the launch of a comic journal, which coincided with the publication of Taiwan's visa exemption in the Official Journal of the EU.

The comic journal was published by Taiwanese cartoonist Wan Wan, who was named Goodwill Ambassador to the EU and was invited by the EETO to visit seven European countries from June 16 to July 5 this year on a 20-day tour. The journal is a humorous account of her trip. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

MOFA helping stranded Taiwanese travelers in Europe

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday that Taiwan's representative offices in Europe are doing their best to help Taiwanese travelers stranded around the northern part of the continent due to bad weather.

The ministry confirmed that as of Tuesday morning, more than 100 Taiwanese tourists were stranded in Cologne, Vienna and London after heavy snow caused the cancellation and delay of flights across the European continent.

With the help of Taiwan's representative office, 73 Taiwanese tourists received a temporary visa or a Schengen visa exemption from the immigration office in Vienna, MOFA spokesman James Chang said.

Another group of 54 travelers on a China Airlines flight had arrived in London after previously being kept in Cologne, where the tourists received a group Schengen visa so they could leave the airport during their stay.

Dozens of Taiwanese travelers were also still in London waiting for Heathrow and Gatwick airports to open, Chang said.

The MOFA believed there were other Taiwanese travelers facing problems in Europe, and the Department of European Affairs was still gathering information on their situations, Chang said.

The ministry had a similar experience in helping more than 1,900 Taiwanese travelers get to their destination or apply for temporary travel documents in April, when a volcanic eruption in Iceland disrupted thousands of flights around Europe, Chang said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan lists TEM, visa-waivers as priorities in Europe in 2011

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) Taiwan hopes to take an initial step toward signing a Trade Enhancement Measures (TEM) deal with the European Union (EU) and secure more visa-exemptions in the region next year, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official in charge of European affairs said Tuesday.

Negotiating TEM and pushing for visa waivers from 24 European countries or territories were the priorities on the country's European affairs agenda for 2011, James Lee, director-general of the ministry's Department of European Affairs, said at a regular press briefing.

Taiwan already secured a breakthrough in Europe on Nov. 25 when the Council of the European Union approved visa exemptions for Taiwanese citizens in 35 European countries, including the 25 in the Schengen Area. The new visa-waivers will take effect in January 2011.

Lee said Taiwan will now turn to six Balkan countries -- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia -- and 18 British and French overseas territories, such as Tahiti in French Polynesia, to push for visa exemptions.

As for the Trade Enhancement Measures, Lee said negotiating them was a natural priority after Taiwan signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China in June, because the EU is Taiwan's fourth largest trade partner.

"We would like to take the first step of a feasibility study (for a TEM) next year. After that a joint study," Lee said.

The European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (ECCT) has actively urged the EU to initiate talks with Taiwan on the trade liberalization measures, according to Lee.

Taiwan's government has been in regular contact with the EU on the issue and has advocated a "block-building" approach to lowering Taiwan-EU trade barriers if a package deal were not plausible, he said.

An inter-agency task force consisting of the MOFA and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has been established to work on Taiwan-EU trade liberalization issues, he added.

"We think that more urgent issues, such as investment, tariffs and standards, could be negotiated in separate agreements to benefit Taiwanese and European businesses, " he said.

Lee was not optimistic that negotiations on the issues could begin immediately, however, because the EU is engaged in free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with South Korea, India and Brazil, and he was not sure the EU would have other teams to work with Taiwan on the TEM.

That is why the possibility of doing separate and then joint feasibility studies were more realistic goals in 2011, Lee said.

Looking back at 2010, Lee listed the passage of visa exemptions in the Schengen Area as one of Taiwan's biggest accomplishments last year. Taiwan also signed a new aviation agreement with the United Kingdom and a double taxation avoidance agreement with Hungary. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan's EU visa-waiver clears last legislative hurdle

Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) Taiwan's inclusion in the European Union's visa-waiver program cleared the last hurdle Thursday in the Council of the European Union in Brussels and will take effect in January 2011, Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang said late Thursday.

"The visa-free proposal was approved unanimously by acceptance without discussion earlier in the Council of the European Union. This is a great news we all have been waiting for, " Yang said at a press conference.

The proposal cleared the Competitiveness Council after Taiwan worked hard to move the agenda forward by a week, as it was originally scheduled for Dec. 2 at a session of the Justice and Home Affairs Council.

Addressing the issue, Yang told reporters that "since the proposal is expected to be approved without any debate, it doesn't matter which council screens it."

Having completed the 15-step procedure, the proposal should be able to be signed by the European Parliament speaker and rotating EU President in Dec. 15 and take effect in January next year, ensuring Taiwanese passport holders will be able to visit 35 European countries visa-free, Yang said.

The visa waiver means that Taiwan passport holders will be able to enter the European countries included in the program visa-free and stay for up to 90 days within a six-month period.

The exemption will apply to 25 Schengen Area countries, comprising 22 EU member states and three-non EU states -- Norway, Iceland and Switzerland -- and three non-Schengen EU member states -- Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

The program will also apply to seven European countries and territories, including the Vatican, Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, to bring the number of European countries that grant Taiwan visa-free exemption to 35.

The visa-waiver drive, which aimed to boost the number of countries that grant Taiwan such privilege to 100, has been the Foreign Ministry's top priority to celebrate the Republic of China's centennial anniversary.

The total number of such countries has now reached 96, including 75 granting Taiwan passport holders visa-waiver privilege and 21 providing Taiwanese visitors with visas on arrival.

Taiwan will be exploring visa-free opportunities in countries such as the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines and 18 oversea territories of the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands, according to Yang.

Yang said Taiwan will also keep seeking visa exemptions in six European countries -- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

The proposal previously cleared the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) by a 47-1 vote on Oct. 26 and the European Parliament plenary by a 559-40 margin with 13 abstentions on Nov. 11.

The exemption came three days after Canada granted Taiwan the same privilege Monday. The ministry said that the EU and Canada exemptions would save Taiwan nationals visa application fee of around NT$1.5 billion every year, including more than NT$ 1 billion for the Schengen visas and NT$450 million for Canadian visas.

An average of 310,000 Taiwan nationals visit Europe every year, according to the MOFA. (By Chris Wang) enditem/sc

Vote on Taiwan's EU visa waiver to be moved forward by a week: MOFA

Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) The final step in the European Union's screening of Taiwan's inclusion in its visa-waiver program will be moved forward by a week to Nov. 25 or 26 so that it can take effect as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang said Wednesday.

The vote was originally scheduled for Dec. 2 at a session of the Justice and Home Affairs Council under the Council of the European Union, but Taiwan worked to move it forward to a session of the Competitiveness Council on either Nov. 25 or 26, Yang said.

The Council of the European Union, more commonly referred to as the EU Council of Ministers, is the EU's main decision-making body, representing the member governments.

The Central News Agency's Brussels-based correspondent reported that the proposal will be on the competitiveness committee's Nov. 25 agenda and is expected to be approved by "acceptance without discussion, " citing the council's press office.

"Since the proposal is expected to be approved without any debate, it doesn't matter which council screens it," Yang said.

By accelerating the screening process, Taiwan hopes that the ensuing translation of the documents into different EU member languages and other administrative procedures will be completed by the Christmas break so that the proposal can be adopted by the end of the year, he said.

The vote will be the final hurdle after the proposal cleared the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) by a 47-1 vote on Oct. 26 and the European Parliament plenary by a 559-40 margin with 13 abstentions on Nov. 11.

The visa waiver means that Taiwanese nationals will be able to enter the European countries included in the program visa-free and stay for up to 90 days within a six-month period.

The exemption will apply to 25 Schengen Area countries, comprising 22 EU member states and three-non EU states -- Norway, Iceland and Switzerland -- and three non-Schengen EU member states -- Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan's Schengen visa-free proposal moving forward: MOFA

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) The process of securing visa-free privileges for Taiwanese tourists visiting the European Union is moving forward as scheduled and could be completed by the end of the year, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.

After clearing the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) with a vote of 47-1 on Oct. 26, the proposal will be sent to the next and final hurdle before implementation, said James Lee, director-general of the MOFA's Department of European Affairs, in a regular briefing.

The proposal, which will provide visa exemptions to Taiwanese tourists visiting 28 European countries, is scheduled to be deliberated in the European Parliament plenary session in Brussels Nov. 10, Lee said.

"From what I understand, the 47-1 vote in the LIBE reflects what the final outcome could be at the plenary session, " Lee said.

The 28 countries are the 25 countries of the Schengen Area, which include 22 EU member states and three-non EU states, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, as well as three non-Schengen EU member states, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

In a parallel procedure, Lee went on, the exemption proposal will also be screened by the Coreper II -- the Permanent Representatives Committee dealing with political, commercial, economic and institutional matters -- on Nov. 3, before being screened again by the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA).

The proposal should be adopted around the end of the year, 20 days after the JHA's approval, he said. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/MH 

France not opposed to Taiwan gaining visa-free entry to EU: FIT

Note: Recasts earlier story with comments from France's representative office in Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) The French Institute in Taipei (FIT), which is the French government's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official bilateral diplomatic ties, said Thursday that France is not opposed to Taiwan's inclusion in the Schengen visa-waiver program, which would allow Taiwanese citizens visa-free entry to the EU.

The (Schengen visa-waiver) program, which is now in the midst of a screening process in the EU, involves a negotiation between the EU and Taiwan, not between France and Taiwan, the FIT said.

The institute was responding to an issue raised by Legislator Lin Yu-fang, who said in the Legislative Yuan earlier in the day that France has expressed its hope for Taiwan to make concessions on the Lafayette dispute in exchange for French support for Taiwan's visa-exemption in 28 European countries.

The International Court of Arbitration ruled May 3 to order contractors Thales and the French government to pay a penalty of more than US$591 million to Taiwan for paying commissions on the sale of six Lafayette-class frigates to the country's Navy in 1991, in violation of the contract on the deal.

Lin questioned whether France had used its position in the screening process of the visa-waiver program in the European Parliament as retaliation over Taiwan's refusal to accept an offer for an out-of-court settlement on the Lafayette dispute.

He also suggested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) should collaborate with the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on the matter.

The Lafayette court case was launched in 2001 by Taiwan's Navy to investigate claims that much of the US$2.8 billion paid for the warships were for commissions to middlemen, politicians and military officers in Taiwan, China and France, in violation of the procurement contract.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang told the legislature Thursday that France has not attempted to use the Lafayette frigate dispute to interfere with Taiwan's efforts to be included in the European Union's (EU's) list of countries whose citizens can enter the EU visa free.

"France did express concerns over the percentage of e-passports (electronic passports with fingerprint data) among all Taiwan-issued passports, but it did not formally make additional requirements in Taiwan's Schengen visa-free program, " Yang said in a session of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

France did not raise the issue again at the European Parliament's Visa Working Group (VWG) meeting Sept. 15, he added. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs

France not using Lafayette case to deny Taiwan visa waiver: MOFA

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) France has not attempted to use the Lafayette frigate dispute to interfere with Taiwan's efforts to be included in the European Union's (EU's) list of countries whose citizens can enter the EU visa free, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Timothy C.T. Yang said Thursday.

"France did express concerns over the percentage of e-passports (electronic passports with fingerprint data) among all Taiwan-issued passports, but it did not formally make additional requirements in Taiwan's Schengen visa-free program, "Yang said in a session of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

France did not raise the issue again at the European Parliament's Visa Working Group (VWG) meeting Sept. 15, he added.

Yang made the comment in response of a question posed by Legislator Lin Yu-fang, who said that France has expressed its hope for Taiwan to make concessions on the Lafayette case in exchange for French support for Taiwan's visa-exemption in 28 European countries.

The International Court of Arbitration ruled May 3 to order contractors Thales and the French government to pay a penalty of more than US$591 million to Taiwan for paying commissions on the sale of six Lafayette-class frigates to the country's Navy in 1991, in violation of the contract on the deal.

Lin questioned whether France had used its position in the screening process of the visa-waiver program in the European Parliament as retaliation over Taiwan's refusal to accept an offer for out-of-court settlement.

He also suggested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) should collaborate with the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on the matter.

The Lafayette court case was launched in 2001 by Taiwan's Navy to investigate claims that much of the US$2.8 billion paid for the warships were for commissions to middlemen, politicians and military officers in Taiwan, China and France, in violation of the procurement contract. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs