Relations with the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg

Taiwan-EU Relations
The EU has solid relations with Taiwan in areas such as trade, investment, science, research, education, culture, health, environment, climate change, circular economy, labour, fisheries, digital economy, cyber security, human rights and gender equality. Engagement takes place through a variety of channels, in particular through the annual Taiwan-EU consultations, which facilitate dialogue on both trade and non-trade issues. The 4th annual Labor Consultation and 5th annual Human Rights Consultation between Taiwan and the EU were held in July 2022 and October 2022, respectively. In addition, a joint commitment has been made to hold an EU-Taiwan occupational safety and health cooperation meeting annually, the second of which was held virtually in May 2022. And a delegation from Taiwan was invited to take part in the 7th European Civil Protection Forum in June 2022. In 2023, the 6th annual Human Rights Consultation and the 5th annual Labor Consultation between Taiwan and the EU were respectively held in June. In August and September 2023, delegations from Taiwan had bilateral exchanges with the EU and Belgian counterparts on issues related to environment, climate change, and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), among others.

The European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taipei was established by the European Commission in 2003, with the function and mandate of a diplomatic representation. Currently, the EU and 16 Member States have established their own representations in Taiwan; similarly, Taiwan has 24 official representative offices in 19 EU Member States. Since the EU granted Schengen visa waiver status to Taiwanese passport holders in 2011, Taiwan-EU relations in various areas have expanded significantly. Furthermore, Taiwan has signed Working Holiday Programs with the UK, as well as 11 EU Member States, including Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The EU is expected to launch EES in the second half of 2024 and ETIAS in mid-2025, with details to be announced by the EU on a later date.

While the EU was Taiwan’s fourth-largest trading partner in 2022, Taiwan was the EU’s twelfth-largest trading partner globally and fifth-largest in Asia, with total bilateral trade volume amounting to $75.30 billion US dollars. The inclusion of Taiwan in the European Commission's “Trade for All” communication in October 2015 was a major development for economic ties, as it stated that “the EU will explore launching negotiations on investment with Taiwan.” A resulting Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) would have a wide scope, covering the areas of investment protection and market access, amongst other issues. The EU encourages a sound flow of trade and investment between Taiwan and Europe, and it works closely with Taiwan in the World Trade Organization. The EU also supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in a number of international organizations.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan offered humanitarian assistance to the EU. On April 1, 2020, President Tsai Ing-wen announced Taiwan’s first round of humanitarian donations, offering surgical masks to support front-line medical workers in the United States and European countries most hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. In response, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen thanked Taiwan on the same day, tweeting “the European Union thanks Taiwan for its donation of masks to help fight the #coronavirus; this global virus outbreak requires international solidarity & cooperation; acts like this show that we are #StrongerTogether.”
Moreover, on 16 September 2021, the EU issued its Joint Communication of “The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”. The communication noted increasing tensions in regional hotspots such as the Taiwan Strait. In addition, it stated that the EU would like to engage with Taiwan in the areas of semiconductors, trade and investment, countering IUU and data protection.

On 19 October 2021, on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) Josep Borrell, Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager delivered remarks on “EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation” at the European Parliament plenary. She noted that Europeans have an interest in preserving the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and that the EU encourages everyone to engage in a dialogue and avoid any unilateral actions that may increase tensions around the Strait. “Taiwan is a like-minded partner and the EU will continue supporting its system of governance based on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, its open society and market economy”, Vestager added.

In both the joint statements issued after the EU-US Summit and the EU-Japan Summit in June 2021 and May 2022 respectively, the importance of the peace and security of the Taiwan Strait was underlined.

In September 2022, during his speech at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, President of the European Council Charles Michel stated that the European Union believed in the stability of the Taiwan Strait, which was the first time that an EU leader had expressed such a view on behalf of the EU.
In December 2022, during his visit to China, when meeting with President Xi and other leaders, President Michel again stressed the importance of the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

Also in December 2022, European External Action Service (EEAS) Secretary General Stefano Sannino met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Washington D.C. for the fourth high-level meeting of the EU-US Dialogue on China and the third meeting of the EU-US High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific. They underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait where the US and the EU have clear interests, including in the maintenance of stability, and where regional and global security and prosperity are at stake. They expressed concern about China’s provocations that increase the risk of a crisis in the Strait, which would not only undermine peace and stability across the Strait, but also have serious impacts on the broader region and jeopardize global prosperity. They reiterated their commitment to maintaining the status quo and opposition to any unilateral actions which undermine it. They called for the peaceful resolution of Cross-Strait issues and reaffirmed that there is no change in their long-standing basic positions on Taiwan.

In March 2023, President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission delivered a speech in which she reiterated the importance of the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.
In June 2023, EEAS Secretary General Stefano Sannino met with U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland for the fifth high-level meeting of the EU-US Dialogue on China and the fourth meeting of the EU-US High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific. On Taiwan, they underscored the overriding importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait (the “Strait”), where the US, the EU, and countries worldwide have clear interests, and regional and global security and prosperity are at stake. They expressed concern about the steady increase in People’s Liberation Army activities in the Strait. They reiterated their commitment to maintaining the status quo and their opposition to any unilateral actions　from either side which undermine cross-Strait peace and stability. They stressed that any instability in the Strait resulting from escalation, accident,　or use of force would have major economic and security implications for the region and globally. They called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and reaffirmed that their long-standing basic positions on Taiwan remained unchanged.

In June 2023 as well, the conclusions of the European Council illustrated that the EU is concerned about growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The European Council opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

In July 2023, HR/VP Joseph Borrell attended the 30th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Indonesia. During his speech, while mentioning Taiwan and the South China Sea issues, he reiterated that the EU has a clear interest in preserving peace, stability and in maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. The EU is concerned by China’s increased military activities there. Nobody should unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. Tensions must be resolved through a meaningful and open dialogue.
Taiwan- EP Relations
Over the past half a century, the powers of the European Parliament (EP) have continued to expand, and thus, the parliament has become an important aspect of Taiwan-EU relations. At present, the European Parliament supports a range of measures promoting friendly relations between Taiwan and the EU, including by facilitating exchanges and visits between the respective parliaments, supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and enhancing Taiwan-EU economic and trade relations.

Over the past several years, the European Parliament has passed a number of important resolutions in support of Taiwan, the most comprehensive of which was the recommendation on "EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation" adopted on October 21, 2021. The report was the first ever from the European Parliament solely on the topic of Taiwan, and passed through the legislative body with an overwhelming majority, receiving the second highest support rate for a resolution of the session. The resolution is forward-looking and includes important provisions on Taiwan's relationship with the EU, such as calling on the European Commission to begin the processes necessary for a bilateral investment agreement as soon as possible, encouraging high-level interaction between the two sides, changing the name of the EU's representative office in Taiwan and supporting the establishment of the respective representative offices between Taiwan and Lithuania. The European Parliament has also adopted, since July 2020, resolutions on the "EU Trade Policy Review", the "foreign policy consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak", the "Common Foreign and Security Policy", the "Common Security and Defence Policy", "Connectivity and EU-Asia relations", "Chinese countersanctions on EU entities and MEPs and MPs", the " Trade related aspects and implications of COVID-19", "EU-NATO cooperation in the context of transatlantic relations", the "New EU-China Strategy", the "future of EU-US relations", "EU cyber-defence capabilities", "Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily", the “situation in Nicaragua”, “violation of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong”, “foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation”, “the EU and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific”, “the Indo-Pacific strategy in the area of trade and investment”, “the EU and the defence of multilateralism”, “the situation in the Strait of Taiwan” and “the draft bill on the <Chips Act>”. These resolutions, all of which contain a number of Taiwan-friendly provisions, clearly convey the European Parliament's concern about the security situation in the Taiwan Strait, as well as its support for Taiwan’s international participation, a bilateral investment agreement and the further deepening of bilateral relations.
Furthermore, the benign cooperation and exchange between Taiwan and the European Parliament is deepening year by year. The European Parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE) visited Taiwan from 3-5 November, 2021 as the first ever official Parliament delegation to visit Taiwan. This marked a significant milestone in the relations between Taiwan and the European Parliament. In October 2021, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu visited Brussels and met with members of the European Parliament as well as members of the Belgian Parliament to thank them for their support for Taiwan and exchanged views on issues of mutual concern. In July 2022, Vice President of the European Parliament Nicola Beer led a delegation to Taiwan. This was the first time an incumbent Vice President of the European Parliament visited Taiwan in their official capacity. In December 2022, the first official delegation of European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) visited Taiwan, with the aim of strengthening trade and investment relations. In April 2023, the European Parliament held a key debate on the topic of "The EU needs a coherent strategy towards China", while the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, as well as the chairpersons and key members of the main political groups in the European Parliament were invited to emphasize the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, demonstrating the high level of concern of the EU's executive and legislative branches for the security of the Taiwan Strait. In May 2023, Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr. Roy Chun Lee, was invited to the Formosa Club’s first "Unity Summit" in Brussels. A joint statement was issued after the Unity Summit, reaffirming the Club's firm stance for Taiwan. In June 2023, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu received two certificates of appreciation at the European Parliament from the EP- and Belgium-Taiwan Friendship Groups for his contributions to deepening ties with the like-minded partners. In June and July 2023, President Tsai met European parliamentary delegation and the first-ever delegation from the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) consecutively, stated that Taiwan is willing to deepen cooperation with the EU and liked-minded democratic countries in multiple areas, and that together we can strengthen our democratic alliances and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

The Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament hosted a public hearing on “Trade and Investment Relations with Taiwan”, chaired by the INTA Committee Chair, Bernd LANGE, on July 19, 2023 in the European Parliament.  For the first time, the committee invited a legislator from Taiwan, Ms. Cynthia WU, to be a keynote speaker.  In her remarks, she cited the 32 Bilateral Investment Agreements and Free Trade Agreements that Taiwan has already signed with other partners and urged the EU to formalize its cooperation with Taiwan through a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA).  Closing remarks were delivered by MEP Iuliu WINKLER, Vice-Chair of the INTA Committee. He mentioned that there is majority cross-party support for Taiwan in the European Parliament, and that MEPs strongly advocate for the signing of a BIA between the EU and Taiwan.

The Committee on International Trade (INTA) in the European Parliament hosted a hearing on “European Economic Security” on October 24, 2023 in the European Parliament, and invited Dr. Huai-Shing YEN, Senior Deputy Executive Director of the Taiwan WTO and RTA Center, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, to take part as a speaker on the panel. Opening remarks were delivered by Bernd LANGE, Chairman of the INTA Committee. Dr. YEN suggested that the EU cooperate with international partners and multilateralize the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI). Through this and other actions, the European Parliament continues to demonstrate its strong support for strengthening EU-Taiwan economic and trade cooperation.

The European Parliament’s passage of a resolution and three reports December 13, 2023 calling for expanded trade partnership with Taiwan and supporting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

In the resolution on EU-Taiwan trade and investment relations, the EP highlighted the importance of Taiwan for the EU and global supply chains, describing it as a reliable and like-minded partner in line with the EU’s economic security strategy amid the current geopolitical context.

In its reports adopted the same day on relations with China, the U.S. and Japan, the EP condemned China’s increasing military provocation in and around the Taiwan Strait, opposed Beijing’s distortion of U.N. Resolution 2758 and called on the EU to work with regional partners and the U.S. to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait, South China Sea and East China Sea to ensure uninterrupted regional and global commerce, security and prosperity.

Taiwan - EU Scientific and Research Cooperation
In 2013, Taiwan became one of the EU’s 12 targeted countries for ICT collaboration, under the 7th EU Framework Programme (2007-2013) and the 8th FP – Horizon 2020 (2014-2020). As of the H2020 programme closure, Taiwan had participated in 102 Horizon 2020 international joint research programs and project consortia, and signed 71 project agreements. Currently Taiwan’s scientific community is actively working with the European scientific community in pursuing greater and tighter cooperation alongside the 9th Framework Program – Horizon Europe (2021-2027). To date, Taiwan has successfully participated in 12 Horizon Europe projects and signed 9 agreements. Taiwan and the EU have also cooperated in the development of 5G technology since 2014.

Taiwan - EU Academic Cooperation
Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) annually sponsors programmes for European students, researchers, education personnel and European officials. These programmes increase the visibility of Taiwan in Europe and stimulate exchange and collaboration in academics and research, while also in other areas such as culture and politics.

The programmes include scholarships and awards for EU officials, as well as European students and scholars, such as the Taiwan and Huayu Enrichment scholarships, the Taiwan Fellowship and the Short Term Research Award, among others.

Taiwan-Belgium Relations
Political relations
Taiwan and Belgium enjoy substantive exchanges in many fields and have set up respective Representative Offices in Brussels and Taipei. The Belgian government and people appreciate the vibrant democracy and economic strength of Taiwan. Belgium, in line with EU policy, supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. In Addition, 2nd Taiwan-Belgium Labor Policy Conference was held in Taipei May 2023, to identify the challenges of the future work and size the opportunities for cooperation.
The “Cercle de Parlementaires-Amis de Taiwan” was established by Belgian Members of Parliaments in December 1993. Each year, many Belgian MPs visit Taiwan, and vice versa. Over recent years, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, the Senate, the Flemish Parliament, and the Walloon Parliament have all adopted a number of resolutions supporting Taiwan, the latest of which was passed in October 2022.

Economic and trade relations
Belgium is Taiwan’s fifth-largest trading partner among EU Member States, after Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France. In 2022, the total bilateral trade volume between Belgium and Taiwan amounted to 3.68 billion US dollars. Traditionally Taiwanese and Belgian companies have worked closely in the ICT sector. For example, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), the largest pure-play foundry in the world, has enjoyed long-term cooperation with the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in the research of advanced semiconductor technologies. In recent years, with the development of Taiwan’s ambitious policies to develop its offshore wind energy capacity, the renowned Belgian maritime engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul have both significantly expanded their presence in Taiwan, together with local partners. To promote mutual investment and encourage further commercial activity, an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income was signed by both sides on October 13, 2004, in Brussels.

The annual bilateral Taiwan-Belgium Joint Business Council Meeting is also a platform for Taiwanese and Belgium-based companies to further strengthen existing business contacts and to explore new opportunities in trade, investment and research cooperation. The 22nd Taiwan-Belgium Joint Business Council Meeting was held online on May 5th, 2022. Business representatives from both sides exchanged the latest developments and policies in the semiconductor industry.

Scientific and Research Cooperation
FWO & FNRS: The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) of Taiwan signed cooperation agreements respectively with the National Fund for Scientific Research (FWO & FNRS) of Belgium in 1985 and renewed the agreements in 2019. Both agreements provide funding to facilitate individual and institutional S&T exchanges through visits, joint research projects and thematic workshops between the two countries. In light of the new bilateral scientific cooperation agreements, the NSTC and its respective Belgian funding organisation counterparts, namely Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Fund for Scientific Research – FNRS have jointly achieved the calls for the NSTC-FWO and the NSTC-FNRS Exchange Programs for the years of 2021-2022 and that of 2023-2024.

IMEC: the NSTC signed a cooperation agreement with the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in 1996 and renewed it in 2012 to expand the areas of collaboration, including the establishment of an R&D Centre in Taiwan in September 2008.

VIB: the NSTC signed a cooperation agreement with the Flemish Biotechnology Institute (VIB) in 2005 and renewed it in 2012 with the inclusion of several additional fields for enhancing cooperation.

Working Holiday Program
Taiwan and Belgium agreed in 2013 to provide an annual quota of 200 visas for young people aged between 18 and 30, to work, travel and study in each other’s country for up to one year.

Taiwan-Luxembourg Relations
Political relations
Taiwan’s representative office in Luxembourg was closed in 2002. The function of this office was afterwards taken over by the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium. The “Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office, Taipei” was established in October 2009.
In recent years, the substantive cooperation between Taiwan and Luxembourg in various fields has yielded many concrete results. The Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital was signed on 19 December 2011. Other agreements and MoUs on issues such as financial oversight, stock exchanges, education, aviation, and working holidays have also been signed.

Economic and trade relations
Taiwan enjoys close financial cooperation with Luxembourg. For example, many Taiwanese companies choose the Luxembourg Stock Exchange to issue their Global Depository Receipts for fund raising on. In terms of trade in goods, Taiwan’s bilateral trade volume with Luxembourg in 2022 amounted to 63.83 million US dollars. China Airlines, a Taiwanese airline company, has chosen Luxembourg as its main cargo transit centre in Europe, and ships Taiwanese products to many countries on the continent. Luxembourg is the gateway for Taiwanese products entering Europe, and China Airlines collaborates very closely with Cargolux. Luxembourg plays a role no less important than Frankfurt or Amsterdam for Taiwan’s cargo shipments to Europe.
The annual bilateral Taiwan-Luxembourg Joint Business Council Meeting is also a platform for Taiwanese and Luxembourg-based companies to further strengthen existing business contacts and to explore new opportunities in trade, investment and research cooperation. The 13th Taiwan-Luxembourg Joint Business Council Meeting was held online on June 10, 2021. Business representatives from both sides exchanged the latest developments in the sectors of smart mobility, cyber security and fintech.

Furthermore, bankers from Taiwan and Luxembourg held the Taiwan-Luxembourg Financial Cooperation Webinar on March 8, 2021. During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on financial institutions’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the topic of green bonds.
Working Holiday Program
Since 2019, the Working Holiday Program between Taiwan and Luxembourg enables up to 40 young people aged between 18 and 30 per year to work, travel, and study in each other’s country. In order to promote more youth exchanges between the two sides, the revised Working Holiday Program takes effect on April 1, 2023 which allows the age limit of applicants for WHP to be raised to 35 years old.