Chief Executive meets with President of European Commission

(Macao 19 June 2006)The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and the President of European Commission, Mr José Barroso, agreed at a meeting today to further strengthen European Union (EU)-Macao relationship. Mr Ho, who began his official visit to the EU and Belgium this morning (Brussels time), met with Mr Barroso at the headquarters of the European Commission. Mr Ho said after the meeting that they have reviewed EU-Macao co-operation over the years and had agreed to strengthen co-operation in the environmental protection industry. He said some EU member-countries were keen to capitalise on the mediating function of Macao and the Pan-Pearl River Delta regional co-operation scheme, to enter the environmental protection industry in the Mainland, in which Macao would play a more active role in the future. Currently about five European countries were involved in public utilities in Macao, such as water supply, electricity and water treatment, and the SAR Government hoped that by inviting these enterprises to increase their participation in the SAR, Macao could be helpful as the platform to the South China market.