Full text of the Joint press release of the EU-Macao Joint Committee on the 8th meeting held today(22) in Macao is as follow:

Press Release

The EU and Macao hold their first joint Committee meeting in the MSAR

The EU and Macao authorities held their Eighth joint Committee meeting on 22nd October 2001, in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR).

This meeting was the first one held in the MSAR and was the second one since the hand-over of Macao to the People's Republic of China, on 19th December 1999. The previous meeting took place in Brussels in June 2000. The EU welcomed the Macao SAR's steady start, improved economic growth, good progress on EU-Macao co-operation and the new customs service.

The meeting enabled both sides to review developments over the past year and to consider the European Commission's first annual report on Macao since the hand-over. This noted that the Macao SAR had got off to a good start and reiterated the EU's commitment and support to upholding the MSAR Basic Law, guaranteeing that basic freedoms and the way of life in Macao are preserved. The Commission noted that Macao's economic situation had improved last year, but that because of the economic downturn in the region, high growth could not be expected in the near future, Nevertheless, the Commission welcomed the SAR's intention to diversify Macao's economic base, in view of the over-dependence upon the gambling and tourism industries.

The meeting recalled Chief Executive Edmund Ho's successful first official visit to the Commission in June 2001, when he met President Romano Prodi and Commissioner Chris Patten. Both of whom had expressed their strong desire to increase co-operation and links with Macao.

The joint Committee express satisfaction on progress achieved since June 2000, in line with the Commission's Communication. This included the EU granting Macao SAR passport holders Visa-free Access to the EU, since April 2001, and the Preparations for an EC-Macao Readmission Agreement, the first round of which had taken place that morning. The meeting noted the satisfactory progress on several continuing co-operation projects under the bilateral Trade and Co-operation Agreement, such as the Macao-Europe Centre for Advanced Tourism Studies, the Macao Institute of European Studies and the Macao Services Development Programme.

The Committee also discussed new areas for co-operation and liaison as requested by Macao in the areas of legal co-operation, tourism and public administration training. The Commission noted Macau's progress in creating a new customs service and suggested this could play an important role in, for example, effective anti-money laundering controls in the region.

The Committee concluded that although good, steady progress had been achieved, more could be done jointly to take advantage of Macao's unique situation. The Committee agreed to seek proactive ways to realise mutually beneficial objectives.