The ECCT just completed a very successful Open Door Mission to Brussels Belgium where a 10-member delegation of directors, committee co-chairs and secretariat met with senior officials from the European Commission, think tanks and industry associations. Meetings with the European Commission included a meeting with Zaneta Vegner (pictured, 6th from right), the deputy head of cabinet of the Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, meetings with DG Trade, DG Grow, DG Energy, DG Connect, DG Move, industry associations ACEA, Hydrogen Europe, Wind Europe and GWEC.

The ECCT delegation was headed by outgoing 2022 ECCT Chairman Henry Chang, incoming 2023 Chairman Giuseppe Izzo and CEO Freddie Höglund. It was the first trip to Brussels since 2019 (meetings were held online during 2020 and 2021 owing to the pandemic). The objective of the annual trip is to exchange information on bilateral EU-Taiwan regulatory and economic developments and promote the expansion of trade and business development in Taiwan and the EU.

ECCT delegation

• H Henry Chang, 2022 Chairman
• Giuseppe Izzo, 2023 Chairman
• Freddie Höglund, CEO
• Mike Jewell, 2022 Executive Supervisor
• Laurent Chevalier, Director
• Oliver Britz, Mobility Committee Co-chair
• Rahil Ansari, Mobility Committee Co-chair
• Vivienne Lin, Director, Automotive, EEE and Retail & Distribution committees
• Sammy Su, LCI Director
• Duncan Levine, Publications Editor

During the mission, the ECCT delegation met with a number of senior officials from the EC and several other important industry associations and other organisations including Hydrogen Europe, Wind Europe, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), BusinessEurope (the pan-European federation of European industries), the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), and the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE).

The ECCT delegation was warmly welcomed by EC officials and other institutions at all meetings. After close to 30 years of annual Open Door Mission visits to Brussels as well as frequent interaction whenever European delegations visit Taiwan, the ECCT’s reputation is well established in Brussels and the chamber is often praised for its efficient organization and informative position papers. By keeping the door open for communication and updating European officials on issues important to ECCT members, many of these issues are raised during bilateral discussions between EU and Taiwanese officials and eventually resolved.

Over the course of three days, meetings were arranged with senior European officials from the Directorate-General for Trade, Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), the Directorate-Generals for Energy (DG ENER), Directorate General for Mobility & Transport (DG MOVE), Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) and the European External Action Service (EEAS).

At the meetings the ECCT delegation briefed Brussels-based delegations on the major issues listed in the ECCT’s 2023 Position Papers and requested assistance from and cooperation with the EC to try to resolve issues facing European businesses in Taiwan during their discussions with the Taiwan authorities.

The meetings also afforded participants the opportunity to exchange views on Taiwan’s recent economic and political developments and how to enhance cooperation and business ties between the EU and Taiwan

Several meetings were held to discuss future cooperation, such as the forthcoming 2023 edition of the Global Offshore Wind Summit, which will be jointly arranged by the ECCT’s Low Carbon Initiative and GWEC.

The delegation also received important insights into recent political and economic developments in the EU from its meetings with the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) and BusinessEurope. In meetings with industry associations, Hydrogen Europe, Wind Europe and ACEA, delegates shared information and views on ongoing and expected future developments in these industry sectors.

On the second evening of the trip, the delegation had dinner with Roland PC Yang, Minister and Deputy Representative of the Taiwan Representative Office in the EU & Belgium and a delegation of senior officials from the office. During the meeting the ECCT delegation gave a briefing on its meetings and received an update from the representative office on the current status of EU-Taiwan trade and investment relations.

Given the high level of delegations, excellent information exchanges, comprehensive planning meetings and the consequent exciting schedule of activities in the pipeline for the year ahead, ECCT delegates described this year’s Open Door Mission as extremely productive and successful.