The opening ceremony of the second EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field will take place tomorrow, March 23rd (Tuesday), at 3.30pm, in the auditorium of the Legal and Judicial Training Centre (Luso-International Bank Building, 18th floor). Presided by the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, the opening ceremony marks the beginning of the new Co-operation Programme with the European Union, which will last until December 2012. With a budget total of 1.500.000 euros (approximately 16.500.000 patacas), this programme is co-financed by the European Union and the Macao Foundation, with the remaining costs supported by the MSAR’s budget. Jozsef Molnar and Rainer Schierhorst, representatives from the European’s Commission Directorate-General for External Relations, who are in charge of the new Co-operation Programme in Brussels, will also attend the ceremony. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, will be delivering the inaugural speech, followed by Jozsef Molnar’s speech on behalf of the European Commission. At 5pm, after the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the first activity of the second Co-operation Programme will be initiated. Luís Filipe Colaço Antunes, President of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Law, University of Porto, Portugal, will be giving a seminar on “Town Planning, Urban Reconstruction and World Heritage Protection”. This seminar will last until March 25th. On the following day, March 26th, he will be giving another seminar on the “Revocation of the Administrative Act” that will take place at the auditorium of the Public Administration Building. Both these seminars, organized by the Legal and Judicial Training Centre and are expecting a total audience of approximately 200 participants. The second EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field has the “Consolidation of the Macao Legal System” as its main objective. It is divided into six sub-programmes, with a total of 71 activities to take place over a period of three years. The implementation of this Co-operation Programme is coordinated by the International Law Office (GADI), with participation of several other MSAR’s entities and public departments, namely, the Legal and Judicial Training Centre (CFJJ), the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ), the Economic Services (DSE), the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) and the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM).
