title: Council Recommendation of 5 April 2022 on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation (Text with EEA relevance) 2022/C 160/01

text:
               13.4.2022

               EN

               Official Journal of the European Union

               C 160/1

      COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
      of 5 April 2022
      on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation
      (Text with EEA relevance)
      (2022/C 160/01)
      THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
      Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 165 and 166 thereof,
      Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
      Whereas:

                  1.

                  Deeper and more effective transnational cooperation in the higher education sector across all Europe is key to supporting Union values, identity and democracy, to building the resilience of European society and economy, and to building a sustainable future. Strong, inter-connected higher education institutions are one important instrument for tackling the challenges related to the green and digital transitions and to an ageing population, and other key socio-economic challenges, by sharing knowledge and co-creating innovative solutions. They may also secure Europe’s capacity to boost technology-driven competitiveness.

                  2.

                  Building bridges allowing higher education institutions to develop deeper, perennial and effective transnational cooperation at institutional level is an important instrument to make higher education institutions stronger together and prepare students, lifelong learners, researchers and staff for a global future. Higher education institutions across Europe are adapting to a rapidly changing world with fast-changing disciplines and learning environments, for instance in relation to the twin green and digital transitions. This requires new thinking, new approaches and new structures for cooperation and mobility (with physical mobility remaining the core format) of students, staff and researchers across disciplines and across borders. This new reality, fuelled by the digital transition, will entail a new, attractive range of education and new formats and opportunities for transnational cooperation and mobility, in person and online, for all learners, including for people with fewer opportunities or from remote areas, such as outermost regions, and will encourage diversity among academics, researchers and professional staff.

                  3.

                  Stronger cooperation between diverse higher education institutions, including universities, research universities, university colleges, universities of applied sciences, higher vocational education and training institutions, and higher arts institutions, across the entire EU is a key principle that underpins and is intrinsic to the European Education Area and the European Research Area. Deeper transnational cooperation between diverse and complementary institutions across all Europe supports fair access to high-quality and inclusive education, training and research, fosters knowledge creation and circulation, facilitates the sharing of capacity and infrastructure, and contributes to the vitality of their regions and communities, helping to overcome disadvantage and geographic disparities. It can also foster insertion in the research, innovation and industrial ecosystems. Transnational cooperation equally contributes to unlocking the full potential of the higher education sector as a promotor of skills, competences and knowledge, for instance for the twin digital and green transitions, and contributes to delivering on the European Pillar of Social Rights.

                  4.

                  The Commission Communication on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 (1) calls for seamless and ambitious transnational cooperation, for a facilitated delivery of joint degrees, and for the feasibility of a legal statute for alliances such as the European Universities to be explored. The Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) (2) encourages deeper cooperation, the pooling of knowledge and resources and the generation of more mobility opportunities for students, academics and researchers, including through the full roll-out of the European Universities and the European Student Card initiatives. In its conclusions on the European Universities initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: Paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education (3), the Council invited the Member States to remove obstacles to more compatible higher education systems and to explore the feasibility of joint European degrees. In its conclusions on ‘Deepening the European Research Area: Providing researchers with attractive and sustainable careers and working conditions and making brain circulation a reality’ (4), the Council called on the Commission to support Member States in designing policy measures for seamless and ambitious transnational cooperation between higher education institutions in Europe, notably in the area of academic and research careers. The Commission Communication on a new ERA for Research and Innovation (5) and the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (6) call for deeper cooperation and acknowledge the potential of initiatives such as the European Universities to transform higher education. The European Skills Agenda (7) also calls for obstacles to effective and deeper transnational cooperation to be removed.

                  5.

                  The Rome Communiqué of the ministers of the European Higher Education Area and the Council Recommendation on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad (8) call for transnational cooperation to be promoted and facilitated. The European Parliament Resolution on the European Education Area: a shared holistic approach (9) underlines the need for more collaboration and calls for the use of synergies between the European Education Area, the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area.

                  6.

                  The 41 ‘European Universities’, supported by the Erasmus+ programme and complemented by Horizon 2020 for the research and innovation dimension, and similar long-standing institutionalised cooperation models, provide useful lessons learned while testing deeper transnational cooperation models that go beyond existing individual institutional strategies, governance and collaboration ecosystems. They are a source of inspiration for the wider higher education community to drive system-level reforms while facilitating better coordination between European higher education and research policies.

                  7.

                  For the purposes of this Council Recommendation, ‘European Universities’ are those funded under the Erasmus+ programme, with complementary support from the Horizon programme for the research and innovation dimension, where relevant. ‘Alliances of higher education institutions’ refers to all other cooperation models, such as the Knowledge and Innovation Communities. The objective of this Council Recommendation is to facilitate transnational cooperation for all European higher education institutions, beyond those supported under the European Universities initiative.

                  8.

                  ‘European Universities’ contribute to the quality of transnational cooperation through interinstitutional strategies that combine learning and teaching, research, innovation and knowledge transfer into the economy and society, and contribute to policy and societal change.

                  9.

                  Higher education alliances could benefit, on a voluntary basis, from institutionalised cooperation instruments, such as a possible legal status for alliances of higher education institutions, that enable them to share, where appropriate, common financial, human, digital and physical resources, and services, to operate virtual inter-university campuses and interoperable platforms for joint digital or blended activities. To deepen transnational cooperation on effectively tackling the twin green and digital transitions, the development of interdisciplinary modules and the design of joint degrees based on co-created European criteria, in accordance with the instruments of the Bologna Process, need to be further facilitated at national, regional and institutional level. Facilitating flexible and inclusive mobility and widening the use of the European Student Card initiative could increase opportunities for learners, academics, researchers and staff. Sufficient long-term perennial funding is required to build capacity and attain the charted ambition level for transnational cooperation.

                  10.

                  Deeper cooperation between higher education institutions requires all-encompassing challenges to be addressed. The seamless set-up, external quality assurance and accreditation of joint transnational educational activities and programmes at all levels are affected by: differences in external quality assurance; uneven implementation of the automatic mutual recognition of qualifications and study periods abroad and of the related key commitments within the Bologna Process, including differences in degree structures; differences in the adoption of the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes; differences in the application of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS); and the partial recognition of virtual and blended learning. Addressing these issues and ensuring the full implementation of the Bologna instruments would reduce administrative burdens, facilitate transnational cooperation and nurture the implementation of innovative interdisciplinary pedagogies across different countries.

                  11.

                  European transnational cooperation at institutional level is a powerful instrument to support and further develop the transformation towards excellent, inclusive, competitive, sustainable and attractive higher education institutions that fulfil all their missions (education, research, innovation and service to society), with benefits within and beyond the higher education sector, for a Europe of knowledge, resilience and democracy, and that reflect our European way of life and values. Transnational cooperation needs to be facilitated through a set of coherent European and national measures, effective implementation of available European initiatives, instruments and tools such as the European Universities initiative, the Bologna Process instruments or the European Student Card initiative, as well as the exploration of possible new instruments. These new instruments could be developed using a co-creative, step-by-step approach, enabling higher education institutions to build bridges and cooperate more effectively across borders and higher education systems to become more cohesive, for the benefit of the entire higher education community, bringing value to society,

            HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT MEMBER STATES
      With full regard to the principle of subsidiarity, institutional autonomy and academic freedom, in accordance with national circumstances, and in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders:

                  1.

                  Open up the opportunity for higher education institutions to explore, in a co-creation process, the necessity, benefits, risks and feasibility of setting up institutionalised cooperation instruments, such as a possible legal status for alliances of higher education institutions, for example ‘European Universities’, with the objective of facilitating deeper cooperation by sharing human, technical, data, education, research and innovation capacities, where appropriate. Allow them to experiment with the diverse possibilities of deeper cooperation as well as to test, on a voluntary basis, existing European instruments, such as the European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (10) or the European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) (11).

                  2.

                  Encourage, where appropriate, and make it easier for higher education institutions engaged in transnational cooperation to provide joint programmes and award joint degrees, in accordance with the Bologna instruments (12). In this context, and building on the results of the exploratory actions as defined in point 12, examine and facilitate the delivery of a joint European degree label. Later on, work could be undertaken towards a possible joint degree at all levels, based on co-created European criteria, to be delivered at national, regional or institutional level, in accordance with the National Qualifications Frameworks.

                  3.

                  Enable higher education institutions to further develop and implement, where appropriate, innovative joint transnational educational activities by allowing and encouraging them to test and implement suitable approaches and measures in relation to:

                              a)

                              Admission and enrolment criteria for students and lifelong learners;

                              b)

                              Defining the languages of learning and teaching while respecting multilingualism as appropriate;

                              c)

                              The share of online learning in the overall educational offer; the share of student mobility (physical, virtual or blended) embedded in the joint educational activity; and the share and organisation of internships, work-based learning activities, challenge-based and inter-disciplinary approaches;

                              d)

                              The inclusion of flexible learning pathways, such as small learning experiences which could lead to micro-credentials (13) where relevant;

                              e)

                              The rules for credit allocation and transfer, and transparency in grading, in accordance with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) Users’ Guide, as the basis for transnational joint programmes, without additional rules or limitations;

                              f)

                              The use of information on external quality assurance of European higher education programmes and/or institutions according to the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), included in the Database of External Quality Assurance Results (DEQAR) to implement automatic mutual recognition (14) for the purposes of further learning, in cooperation with National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARICs);

                              g)

                              Allowing, where appropriate, recognition of prior learning and validation of non-formal and informal learning based on transparent and fair quality requirements and the organisation of appropriate assessment of learners, and awarding relevant credits for such learning;

                              h)

                              Allowing, where appropriate, more flexibility in defining the template of their joint degrees when implementing joint transnational programmes.

                  4.

                  Support embedded mobility in joint transnational educational programmes

                              a)

                              Support higher education institutions in embedding mobility (physical, virtual or blended) in a more systematic and flexible way in their joint education programmes, at all levels, to allow a larger body of students, including learners with fewer opportunities or from remote areas such as outermost regions, academics and researchers to benefit from the dynamics of integrated higher education cooperation and to promote balanced talent circulation.

                              b)

                              Support the digitalisation of mobility management within multilateral partnerships, in particular the standardisation and digitalisation of business processes for the signing of multilateral inter-institutional agreements, including through the widening of the European Student Card initiative.

                              c)

                              Work towards more coherent approaches for learning mobility, where appropriate, in terms of admission and enrolment systems, grading systems, academic calendars, tuition fee systems, access to and use of higher education facilities over summer/holiday months.

                  5.

                  Contribute to sustaining direct or indirect financial support for deeper transnational institutional cooperation in higher education, including for ‘European Universities’

                              a)

                              Support all types of higher education institutions in their participation in such deep institutional transnational cooperation, where relevant.

                              b)

                              Promote and develop a culture among higher education institutions for quality transnational cooperation by including and stimulating it in national policy and priority setting, where appropriate.

                              c)

                              Mobilise available funding sources at regional, national and EU level (15), while taking into account the different national finance systems, to match or complement where possible the Erasmus+ support, complemented in a synergetic way by the support from Horizon Europe, for the participation of higher education institutions in ‘European Universities’.

                  6.

                  Promote and protect the core principles of institutional autonomy as a prerequisite for setting up common governance arrangements for deeper transnational cooperation in a bottom-up approach. Enable higher education institutions to take independent decisions on internal governance and on financial, staffing and academic matters, to protect academic freedom, and to actively involve academic staff and student representatives in decision-making related to their institution.

                  7.

                  Strengthen mutual trust through external quality assurance and accreditation of joint educational programmes and other forms of joint educational offers developed by institutional transnational cooperation models, including ‘European Universities’ in accordance with the European Standard and Guidelines (ESG).

                              a)

                              Move further towards the use of institutional-based external quality assurance. This could support the development of a genuine institutional quality culture that leads to a greater accountability and compatibility of systems across Europe, building on tools and frameworks already in place in the context of the European Education Area, the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area.

                              b)

                              Consider the possibility of allowing for self-accreditation of programmes, where relevant, based on institutional quality assurance, to underpin the self-responsibility of higher education institutions.

                              c)

                              In countries relying on programme-based external quality assurance, consider the possibility of:

                                          i)

                                          enabling the full implementation of the European Approach for the Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes (16);

                                          ii)

                                          ensuring that the external evaluation of joint transnational programmes can be carried out by one single agency registered in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) (17) and that the outcomes are automatically accepted in all other higher education systems concerned, without adding further national requirements; and

                                          iii)

                                          ensuring that the re-accreditation of joint transnational programmes follows the rules of the ESG and the European Approach (18).

                  8.

                  Support, where appropriate, the development of high-quality virtual collaborative learning in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation as part of teaching, learning and research to foster and facilitate inclusive and student-centred transnational cooperation that complements face-to-face interactions, and in particular to:

                              a)

                              Support higher education institutions in developing virtual and on-line collaborative international learning models as an integral part of blended learning, including through leadership commitment, strategic planning, robust and internationalised pedagogical training and support services.

                              b)

                              Support higher education institutions in valorising and recognising in their career assessments the time spent by academics on developing new innovative pedagogies and new research practices through transnational cooperation, where appropriate.

                              c)

                              Support institutionalised cooperation models, including ‘European Universities’, in their efforts to pool expertise and resources to develop and implement joint digital strategies and shared interoperable IT infrastructure, for example by granting mutual access to online learning and research environments, learning management systems, digital libraries or massive open online course (MOOC) platforms, training and support services, seamless access to findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data and other interoperable services.

                              d)

                              Support the testing and piloting of open source solutions to overcome common challenges, thus contributing to the interoperability, digital readiness, data sovereignty and responsibility of higher education systems.

                  9.

                  Support higher education institutions in developing joint interdisciplinary transnational educational activities at all levels (short cycles, Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral).

                              a)

                              Enable and facilitate transnational challenge-based approaches where learners from different disciplines, cultures and countries cooperate together with researchers, companies, cities, regions, non-governmental organisations and local communities in finding creative and innovative solutions to global and shared challenges.

                              b)

                              Encourage the provision of high-quality lifelong learning opportunities for all to facilitate upskilling and reskilling, with a focus on the most in-demand areas in the labour market, thereby contributing to their personal and professional development.

                  10.

                  Encourage higher education institutions to involve learners, academics, researchers and staff in the governance of structures for transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, while taking into account the existing democratic elements of academic self-governance, notably:

                              a)

                              Encourage higher education institutions to make their governance structures reflect the increasingly diverse backgrounds of learners and staff as well as different employment and educational experiences, in line with the principles of inclusion and equality.

                              b)

                              Support capacity building for strong and effective leadership as an important driver for holistic institutional transnational cooperation.

                              c)

                              Promote gender balance at all levels of governance structures.

                              d)

                              Establish opportunities for peer learning to encourage and support initiatives under which higher education institutions can share experiences and engage in mutual learning and knowledge exchange.

                        It is recommended that Member States implement this Recommendation as soon as possible. They are invited to inform the Commission by [insert date 12 months after adoption by Council] of the corresponding measures to be taken at the appropriate level to support the objectives of this Recommendation as essential steps towards achieving the European Education Area by 2025.

         HEREBY INVITES THE COMMISSION

      With full regard to the principle of subsidiarity, institutional autonomy and academic freedom, in accordance with national circumstances, and in close cooperation with the Member States and all relevant stakeholders, to:

                  11.

                  In parallel to the analysis of ongoing studies and other preparatory work, support the Member States and higher education institutions in testing the use of existing European instruments from 2022 onwards as a step on the way to facilitating deeper, long-term and flexible transnational cooperation and in examining the need for and feasibility of institutionalised cooperation instruments, such as a possible legal status for alliances of higher education institutions. To be used on a voluntary basis, such instruments should facilitate the sharing of capacities and data and the exchange of staff, where appropriate, and the implementation of joint programmes, with the aim of awarding joint degrees at the level of alliances, including a joint degree based on co-created European criteria.
                  Based on the results of the preparatory work and the Erasmus+ pilots, report at each step to the Council for further decision.

                  12.

                  Examine the options and necessary steps - in close cooperation with Member States, higher education institutions, student organisations and stakeholders - towards a possible joint degree based on a common set of co-created European criteria. This degree, to be delivered on a voluntary basis at national, regional or institutional level, could attest learning outcomes achieved as part of transnational cooperation ‘combining studies in several EU countries’ (19), offered for example within ‘European Universities’. It should be easy to issue, store, share, verify and authenticate, and recognised across the EU. It will build on and boost the implementation of the Bologna instruments in the Member States.

                              a)

                              Pilot in 2022 the development and implementation under Erasmus+ of European criteria for the award of a joint European degree label. Such a label would be issued as a complementary certificate to the qualifications obtained by students graduating from joint programmes delivered in the context of transnational cooperation between several higher education institutions.

                              b)

                              Based on the results of this preparatory work, report to the Council for further decision at each step towards a possible joint degree based on co-created European criteria, in accordance with the instruments of the Bologna Process.

                  13.

                  Pursue the further development of the European Universities initiative following a bottom-up approach through the Erasmus+ programme, on the basis of the main outcomes of the mid-term review of the first alliances. As of 2022, provide sustainable funding for successful existing ‘European Universities’ following a competitive and qualitative call for proposals, and allow for the creation of new ones, based on the principles of geographical balance, inclusion, high quality and excellence. Test synergies with the Horizon Europe programme for the research and innovation dimension and possibly other EU programmes by 2024, within the remit of their legal bases. Take benefit of the mid-term review of the MFF programmes to consider ways of enabling possible innovative approaches for a better joint mobilisation of EU sources of funding, exploiting possible synergies with regional and national funds.

                  14.

                  Support, in close cooperation with the Member States, the widening of the European Student Card initiative, in particular the digitalisation of business processes that involve multiple signatories and data exchanges in order to reduce the administrative burden associated with managing the mobility and exchanges of students and staff embedded within transnational partnerships of higher education institutions.

                  15.

                  By mid-2022, provide a comprehensive roadmap indicating key milestones and the expert groups involved, with a view to co-designing the new instruments with the Member States and relevant stakeholders. The roadmap should be regularly updated.

            The Commission is invited to analyse and evaluate the progress made in the implementation of this Recommendation, as well as its use in the context of the work on the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond, via existing relevant Union monitoring and reporting frameworks, in cooperation with the Member States and after consulting the stakeholders concerned, and to report to the Council within five years from the date of its adoption.

         Done at Luxembourg, 5 April 2022.

               For the Council

               The President

            R. BACHELOT-NARQUIN

         (1)  COM(2020) 625 final.

         (2)  OJ C 66, 26.2.2021, p. 1.

         (3)  OJ C 221, 10.6.2021, p. 14.

         (4)  9138/21.

         (5)  COM(2020) 628 final.

         (6)  Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/2122 of 26 November 2021 on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (OJ L 431, 2.12.2021, p. 1).

         (7)  COM(2020) 274 final.

         (8)  OJ C 444, 10.12.2018, p. 1.

         (9)  P9_TA(2021)0452.

         (10)  Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 19).

         (11)  Council Regulation (EEC) No 2137/85 of 25 July 1985 on the European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) (OJ L 199, 31.7.1985, p. 1).

         (12)  Bologna instruments include the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), the Diploma Supplement (DS), the overarching and national qualifications frameworks (QFs), the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance of Higher Education (ESG), the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), the Database of External Quality Assurance Results (DEQAR). The Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (‘Lisbon Recognition Convention’) can also be taken into consideration.

         (13)  ‘Although not deviating from and undermining the core principle of full degree programmes, micro-credentials could help widen learning opportunities to accommodate non-traditional learners and the demand for new skills in the labour market’, Council conclusions on the European Universities initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: Paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education (OJ C 221, 10.6.2021, p. 14).

         (14)  As defined in the Council Recommendation of 26 November 2018 on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad (OJ C 444, 10.12.2018, p. 1).

         (15)  Such as the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund+, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the InvestEU Fund.

         (16)  The approach, approved by EHEA ministers in May 2015, aims to ‘dismantle an important obstacle to the development of joint programmes by setting standards for these programmes that are based on the agreed tools of the EHEA, without applying additional national criteria’.

         (17)  According to the European Approach for the Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, if some of the cooperating higher education institutions require external quality assurance at programme level (e.g. programme accreditation or evaluation is mandatory), they should select a suitable quality assurance agency from the list of EQAR-registered agencies. The agency will carry out a single evaluation or accreditation of the entire joint programme. The result is to be accepted in all EHEA countries and, depending on the national legal framework, the external quality assurance decision should come into force or be recognised in all countries where the programme is offered. EQAR is the official register of national external quality assurance agencies that are in compliance with the commitments within the Bologna Process.

         (18)  ESG Standard 1.10: ‘Institutions should undergo external quality assurance in line with the ESG on a cyclical basis’. The European Approach (9. Periodicity): ‘The joint programme should be reviewed periodically every 6 years, which should be specified in the published decision’.

         (19)  European Council Conclusions, 14 December 2017 (EUCO 19/1/17 REV 1).


title: Recommendation of the European Central Bank of 5 April 2022 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska (ECB/2022/16) 2022/C 160/02

text:
               13.4.2022

               EN

               Official Journal of the European Union

               C 160/9

      RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK
      of 5 April 2022
      to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska
      (ECB/2022/16)
      (2022/C 160/02)
      THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK,
      Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
      Having regard to the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank, and in particular Article 27.1 thereof,
      Whereas:

                  (1)

                  The accounts of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of the Member States whose currency is the euro are audited by independent external auditors recommended by the ECB’s Governing Council and approved by the Council of the European Union.

                  (2)

                  In 2017, Národná banka Slovenska selected Deloitte Audit s.r.o. as its external auditors for the financial years 2017 to 2020, with an option to extend the mandate to the financial years 2021 to 2023 (1).

                  (3)

                  The mandate of Deloitte Audit s.r.o. ended after the audit for the financial year 2020 in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2017/1849 (2), and Národná banka Slovenska extended the mandate of Deloitte Audit s.r.o. to the financial year 2021.

                  (4)

                  The extension of the mandate of Deloitte Audit s.r.o. ended after the audit for the financial year 2021 in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2021/1169 (3).

                  (5)

                  Národná banka Slovenska intends to extend the mandate of Deloitte Audit s.r.o. to the financial years 2022 and 2023. This extension is possible in accordance with the contractual arrangements between Národná banka Slovenska and Deloitte Audit s.r.o.,

            HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:
      It is recommended that Deloitte Audit s.r.o. should be appointed as the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska for the financial years 2022 and 2023.

         Done at Frankfurt am Main, 5 April 2022.

               The President of the ECB

            Christine LAGARDE

         (1)  Recommendation ECB/2017/27 of the European Central Bank of 8 September 2017 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska (OJ C 310, 19.9.2017, p. 1).

         (2)  Council Decision (EU) 2017/1849 of 10 October 2017 amending Decision 1999/70/EC concerning the external auditors of the national central banks, as regards the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska (OJ L 264, 13.10.2017, p. 5).

         (3)  Council Decision (EU) 2021/1169 of 13 July 2021 amending Decision 1999/70/EC concerning the external auditors of the national central banks, as regards the external auditors of Národná banka Slovenska (OJ L 255, 16.7.2021, p. 1).


title: Council Recommendation of 19 April 2022 on the conversion of hryvnia banknotes into the currency of host Member States for the benefit of displaced persons from Ukraine 2022/C 166/01

text:
               20.4.2022

               EN

               Official Journal of the European Union

               C 166/1

      COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
      of 19 April 2022
      on the conversion of hryvnia banknotes into the currency of host Member States for the benefit of displaced persons from Ukraine
      (2022/C 166/01)
      THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
      Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 292, first and second sentence, in conjunction with Article 78(2), point (c), thereof,
      Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
      Whereas:

                  (1)

                  Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than 4 million people have arrived in the European Union in the space of just a few weeks. Both the scale and the speed of arrivals are unprecedented.

                  (2)

                  Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 (1) established the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine as a consequence of an armed conflict and introduced temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine.

                  (3)

                  Displaced persons enjoying temporary protection or adequate protection under national law, in accordance with Council Directive 2001/55/EC (2) and Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382, have urgent liquidity needs to cover their essential expenses. Many of them have arrived with hryvnia banknotes and face extreme difficulties in converting those banknotes into the currency of the host Member State.

                  (4)

                  The National Bank of Ukraine has suspended the exchange of hryvnia banknotes into foreign cash in order to protect Ukraine’s limited foreign exchange reserves.

                  (5)

                  Credit institutions in the Member States are not willing to carry out the currency exchange operations due to the limited convertibility of hryvnia banknotes and exposure to exchange rate risk.

                  (6)

                  Some Member States are considering putting in place national schemes that support the conversion of a limited amount of hryvnias per displaced person at a fixed rate.

                  (7)

                  The conversion of hryvnia banknotes into the currency of host Member States should be facilitated in order to support displaced persons from Ukraine in meeting their needs, in particular as they travel within the Union.

                  (8)

                  The National Bank of Ukraine has approached a number of Member States in order to put in place national schemes to buy hryvnia banknotes at the official exchange rate.

                  (9)

                  A coordinated approach as regards the national schemes put in place by Member States should be promoted with a view to offering the displaced persons from Ukraine the same conditions for converting hryvnia banknotes into the currency of the host Member State, to establishing a level playing field for the credit institutions and to preventing eventual speculative behaviour on the market.

                  (10)

                  In accordance with Article 3 of Protocol No 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice, annexed to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Ireland has notified, by letter of 11 April 2022, its wish to take part in the adoption and application of this Recommendation.

                  (11)

                  In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to the TEU and to the TFEU, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Recommendation and is not bound by it or subject to its application,

            RESPECTING NATIONAL COMPETENCES AND HAVING REGARD TO NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND PRACTICES HEREBY RECOMMENDS:
      OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

                  1.

                  The aim of this Recommendation is to facilitate the conversion of hryvnia banknotes into the currency of host Member States by displaced persons from Ukraine entitled to temporary protection or adequate protection under national law within the meaning of Article 2 of Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382.

            CORE RECOMMENDATION

                  2.

                  A Member State should establish a national scheme to facilitate the conversion of hryvnia banknotes into its national currency having the following characteristics:

                              (a)

                              a displaced person presenting evidence of being entitled to temporary protection as provided for in Directive 2001/55/EC or adequate protection under national law as referred to in Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382, such as that referred to in the Communication from the Commission 2022/C 126 I/01 (3) should be able to convert hryvnia banknotes into the currency of the host Member State. In case of displaced unaccompanied minors, such conversion should be made by the representant provided for in Article 16(1) of Directive 2001/55/EC;

                              (b)

                              maximum limits for the amount of hryvnias to be converted per displaced person should be established. Taking into account national circumstances, such maximum limits should be at or below 10 000 hryvnias per displaced person;

                              (c)

                              conversion should be allowed without charges;

                              (d)

                              the applicable exchange rate should be the official exchange rate as published by the National Bank of Ukraine;

                              (e)

                              the duration of the national scheme should be for a minimum of three months.

            ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

                  3.

                  With a view to guaranteeing effective access to the conversion scheme, Member States should strive to make the best use of a network of credit institutions participating in the conversion scheme for the implementation of that scheme. With a view to ensuring the respect of the maximum limit per displaced person, Member States should consider to agree with participating credit institutions on how to record and check the identity of each displaced person that utilises the conversion scheme.

                  4.

                  With a view to guaranteeing sound financial governance and where necessary, Member States should envisage to agree with the National Bank of Ukraine the modalities for a future exchange of hryvnia banknotes.

         Done at Brussels, 19 April 2022.

               For the Council

               The President

            J.-Y. LE DRIAN

         (1)  Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection (OJ L 71, 4.3.2022, p. 1).

         (2)  Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof (OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p. 12).

         (3)  Communication from the Commission 2022/C 126 I/01 on Operational guidelines for the implementation of Council Implementing Decision 2022/382 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection (OJ C 126 I, 21.3.2022, p. 1).


               5.5.2022

               EN

               Official Journal of the European Union

               C 184/170

      P9_TA(2021)0431
      EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation
      European Parliament recommendation of 21 October 2021 to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation (2021/2041(INI))
      (2022/C 184/14)

         The European Parliament,

                  —

                  having regard to yearly European Parliament reports on CFSP and their sections concerning EU-Taiwan relations,

                  —

                  having regard to the EU-Taiwan Industrial Policy Dialogue Mechanism (IPD), established in 2015,

                  —

                  having regard to its resolution of 9 October 2013 on EU-Taiwan trade relations (1),

                  —

                  having regard to Taiwan’s participation in the Enterprise Europe Network, the European Cluster Cooperation Platform and the Dialogue on Digital Economy,

                  —

                  having regard to the communiqué of the G7 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development of 5 May 2021, in particular the section on support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Organization and the World Health Assembly,

                  —

                  having regard to the cooperation agreements on fighting commercial fraud, and to Taiwan’s implementation of international standards of tax good governance as of 2017,

                  —

                  having regard to Taiwan’s successful cooperation and participation in European Union Framework Programmes (EUFPs),

                  —

                  having regard to the EU-Taiwan Labour Consultation established in 2018,

                  —

                  having regard to the EU visa waiver for Taiwanese passport holders since 2011,

                  —

                  having regard to the EU’s One China policy,

                  —

                  having regard to US-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement of 16 April 2021,

                  —

                  having regard to US-Republic of Korea Leaders’ Joint Statement of 21 May 2021,

                  —

                  having regard to the Commission’s Joint Communication of 10 June 2020 entitled ‘Tackling COVID-19 disinformation — Getting the facts right’ (JOIN(2020)0008),

                  —

                  having regard to the 16 April 2021 Council Conclusions on an EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,

                  —

                  having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16 September 2021 on the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (JOIN(2021)0024),

                  —

                  having regard to Rule 118 of its Rules of Procedure,

                  —

                  having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9-0265/2021),

                  A.

                  whereas the EU and Taiwan are like-minded partners that share common values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law;

                  B.

                  whereas China’s continued military belligerence and grey-zone activities, as well as other forms of provocation, such as spying, cyberattacks and talent-poaching, against Taiwan pose a grave threat to the status quo between Taiwan and China, as well as to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and may lead to dangerous escalation; whereas Taiwan’s Defence Minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, stated that given the continuous and significant build-up, China could be capable of mounting a ‘full-scale’ invasion of Taiwan by 2025; whereas tensions between China and Taiwan are at their most serious in 40 years, with China having sent 150 warplanes, including fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers, into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone since 1 October 2021; whereas this region is of great importance to the EU both because of its many close partners there, and because one of its Member States, France, has overseas territories there;

                  C.

                  whereas in 2016 the EU committed to using every available channel to encourage initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue, cooperation and confidence-building between both sides of the Taiwan Strait; whereas these aspirations have so far not been fulfilled;

                  D.

                  whereas on 9 October 2021, the Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to pursue ‘reunification’ with Taiwan by allegedly peaceful means, but warned that the biggest obstacle to it was the ‘Taiwan independence’ force; whereas such a peaceful approach is put in serious doubt by China’s belligerent statements and actions; whereas according to a survey released by the Election Study Center of National Chengchi University in Taipei in July 2021, only 1,5 % of Taiwanese people support unification with mainland China as soon as possible, while an overwhelming majority support maintaining the status quo, at least in the short term;

                  E.

                  whereas Taiwan’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus have proven among the most effective in the world; whereas Taiwan’s efforts to contribute actively on different fronts to the international community’s common good during the pandemic, including via numerous international studies, is a tangible example of Taiwan behaving as a partner, and proof that it should be treated as such; whereas this shows that Taiwan has the capacity to provide equally valuable contributions to the international community for dealing with the other many challenges of our time; whereas the recent surge in COVID infections, the lack of vaccines and Chinese interference in Taiwan’s efforts to directly procure them raise serious concerns;

                  F.

                  whereas the EU remains the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Taiwan, with an accumulated value of EUR 48 billion up to 2019, accounting for 31 % of Taiwan’s inward FDI; whereas there is considerable potential for increasing Taiwan’s FDI in the EU; whereas Taiwan dominates the semiconductor manufacturing markets, as its producers manufacture around 50 % of world semiconductor output;

                  G.

                  whereas Taiwan’s location, its critical role in global high-tech supply chains, and its democratic way of life makes it strategically important for European democracies;

                  H.

                  whereas the total amount of bilateral trade between the EU and Taiwan reached EUR 51 billion in 2019, with Taiwan being the EU’s fifth largest trading partner in Asia and its 15th largest trading partner in the world;

                  1.

                  Recommends that the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission:

                              (a)

                              work closely with the Member States to intensify EU-Taiwan political relations and to pursue a comprehensive and enhanced partnership under the guidance of the EU’s One China Policy; consider Taiwan a key partner and democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific on its own merit as a robust democracy and technologically advanced economy that could contribute to maintaining a rules-based order in the middle of an intensifying great power rivalry;

                              (b)

                              urgently begin an impact assessment, public consultation and scoping exercise on a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) with the Taiwanese authorities in preparation for negotiations to deepen bilateral economic ties, as such a BIA would lead to an easing of ‘own content’ requirements by European investors and producers in Taiwan; recall, in the context of regional dynamics, the importance of trade and economic relations between the EU and Taiwan, including on matters relating to multilateralism and the WTO, technology and public health, as well as of essential cooperation on critical supplies such as semiconductors; encourages Taiwan to increase investments in the EU, and notes that Taiwan is a full member of the WTO;

                              (c)

                              express grave concern about China’s continued military belligerence against Taiwan and pressure on it, notably through China’s considerable investment in military capabilities, its assault exercises and frequent violations of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone; call on China to put an immediate end to its ongoing intrusions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, particularly as around 150 aircraft intrusions were registered between 1 and 4 October 2021, including by fighter jets; furthermore call out the inflammatory Chinese rhetoric signalling its seemingly contradictory intention of wanting to incorporate Taiwan under the totalitarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), while at the same time claiming to pursue a peaceful development of relations with Taiwan, and insist that any change to cross-strait relations must not be made unilaterally nor against the will of Taiwanese citizens; urge the EU and Member States to take a proactive role in working with like-minded international partners to pursue peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and to establish partnerships with the democratic government of Taiwan;

                              (d)

                              express serious concerns about the situation in the East and South China Seas, and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions; reiterate the importance of respecting international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with its provisions on the obligation to settle disputes by peaceful means, and on maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight;

                              (e)

                              express grave concern about China’s capability to mount a full scale invasion of Taiwan by 2025; strongly condemn China’s unprecedented violation of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone since 1 October 2021, which has involved flying in 150 warplanes, including fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers; express the view that the recent military provocations by China cast doubt on China’s long-term intentions of pursuing a peaceful solution;

                              (f)

                              recall that maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific is a core interest for the EU and its Member States; stress that a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would not only create significant economic disruptions affecting European interests, but would also seriously undermine the rules-based order in the region, as well as democratic governance with human rights, democracy and rule of law at its core;

                              (g)

                              bear in mind that the EU greatly values security in the Taiwan Strait and that there is a direct connection between European prosperity and Asian security and, therefore, consequences for Europe if a conflict spread well beyond the economic realm; declare that China’s actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea will have consequences for EU-China relations;

                              (h)

                              express concern about China’s Taiwan-related legislation and point out that the imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong has made the 2005 anti-secession law’s claim to grant Taiwan a high level of autonomy in case of unification completely untrustworthy;

                              (i)

                              underscore the importance, particularly in the light of China’s continued provocations and military build-up, of further advancing all levels of the EU-Taiwan partnership and cooperation; highlight, in particular, the leading role the European Parliament can play when it comes to identifying areas for further cooperation, as well as clearly identifying and calling out Chinese provocations and showing solidarity with Taiwan;

                              (j)

                              strongly advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation as an observer in meetings, mechanisms and activities of international bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); urge Member States and the EU institutions to support international initiatives calling for Taiwan’s participation in international organisations; welcome again Taiwan’s proactive cooperation with the international community in learning about the COVID-19 pandemic and finding the best ways to respond to it, and underline that this case has proven that Taiwan’s contributions in the WHO would be an added value to the health and well-being of the citizens of all its members;

                              (k)

                              encourage increased economic, scientific, cultural, political and people-to-people exchanges, meetings and cooperation between the EU and Taiwan, and exchanges with the participation of Member State representatives, including at the most senior levels, so as to fully reflect the dynamic, multi-faceted and close cooperation between the EU and Taiwan as like-minded partners; condemn the threats of reprisals and pressure on Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Czech Senate, by the PRC because of his visit to Taiwan in August 2020, and note that the Czech Republic and all other sovereign countries have the right to develop economic and cultural cooperation with Taiwan;

                              (l)

                              continue to support the inclusion of Taiwan in the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy; take positive note of the recent publication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo Pacific, which notes that China’s significant military build-up has led to increasing tensions in regional hotspots such as the South and East China Seas, as well as in the Taiwan Strait, and affirms that it is essential for the EU to reinforce cooperation with regional partners to ensure peace, stability and prosperity across the strait; urge the EU to continue to work closely with other like-minded partners through the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to address China’s assertive posture in the region, and to strengthen the rules-based order, given the EU’s own interests in the region;

                              (m)

                              continue to adopt initiatives to enhance bilateral economic relations and people-to-people contacts, especially among youth, and including academia, civil society, sports, culture and education, as well as city-to-city and region-to-region partnerships; commend current sister city partnerships between European and Taiwanese cities and encourage city diplomacy as a tool to help Taiwan’s participation in international initiatives, which would enable Taiwan to bypass Chinese attempts to further increase its diplomatic isolation;

                              (n)

                              encourage European and Taiwanese cooperation in the media sector, so as to diversify the Chinese language media environment in the EU and provide an alternative to PRC-controlled media outlets;

                              (o)

                              encourage the EU and Member States to help raise awareness in Europe about the situation in the Taiwan Strait, as well as the complexity of Taiwan-China relations through the establishment and funding of dedicated programmes and research targeting society at large; underline the importance of investing in an inclusive debate across Member States, explaining to the European public the risks of an authoritarian advance in the Indo-Pacific through China’s assertive posture and its efforts to undermine democracy, in particular in Taiwan, and the implications of leaving such threats unaddressed for democracies across the globe;

                              (p)

                              encourage dialogue and cooperation with Taiwan in all industrial sectors and supply chains, in particular emerging industries and industries of strategic importance such as electronic vehicles, robotics and smart manufacturing, as well as semiconductor technologies;

                              (q)

                              support further strengthening of initiatives allowing the EU to engage in partnerships with Taiwan in the fields of ICT, biotech, health and security, and to work on concrete cooperation and initiatives between the EU Connectivity Strategy and Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy; strongly support intensifying both sides’ partnership in semiconductors;

                              (r)

                              acknowledge Taiwan’s central role in strategic industries such as the fifth generation of communication infrastructure (5G), as it is home to the world’s largest foundry and the leading producer of semiconductors; stress that in the future microchips will play a central role in shaping the global order and that whoever is in control of the design and manufacturing of microchips will set the course in the 21st century; recall that the disruption to global supply chains caused by the pandemic has put Taiwan at the centre stage of the technological drive, and has also made the EU realise its own vulnerabilities, highlighting the urgency of reflecting on how to reduce its dependencies on external actors; urge therefore increased cooperation with Taiwan to support the EU’s agenda for its green and digital transition, as well as the EU’s efforts toward diversification of value and supply chains, as the pandemic has accelerated demands for both, highlighting the need for increased investment and political support, in particular in value chains of strategic importance, such as microelectronics, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence (AI), which are areas where Taiwan plays a central role;

                              (s)

                              welcome the organisation of the first ever European Investment Forum in Taiwan in September 2020, and encourage more bilateral investment in both directions; urge the increase of such investment in particular in industries where Taiwan is a leader, namely critical technologies including semiconductors, which would support the EU’s efforts to strengthen its own microelectronic capacity; note that following the 2020 Taiwan-EU Dialogue on Digital Economy, the EU and Taiwan should further build on their discussions on research and technology cooperation, blockchain, AI, cybersecurity certification, the data economy and digital connectivity, in order to identify further synergies, expand policy exchange on the development of the digital economy, and establish more extensive partnerships;

                              (t)

                              welcome Taiwan’s voluntary commitments to help combat global warming, thereby contributing to the implementation of the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement;

                              (u)

                              encourage the EU and the Member States to deepen cooperation with Taiwan in confronting disinformation from malign third countries, including the sharing of best practices, joint approaches to fostering media freedom and journalism, deepening cooperation on cybersecurity and cyber-threats, raising citizens’ awareness and improving overall digital literacy among the population in order to strengthen the resilience of our democratic systems; support intensified cooperation between relevant European and Taiwanese think tanks in this field;

                              (v)

                              consider learning from Taiwan’s experience of fighting disinformation from the mainland that target Taiwan’s media independence by using social media platforms, infiltrating Taiwanese television and print media in order to influence public opinion, seeking to undermine elections in Taiwan; commend Taiwan for considering media literacy a useful and vital tool for educating people on identifying disinformation, and for therefore incorporating media literacy into the school curriculum;

                              (w)

                              stress that the benefits of Taiwan’s efforts to fight disinformation and combat fake news go beyond Taiwan, influencing not only society on the island, but also the Chinese-speaking community in Hong Kong and other South East Asian countries;

                              (x)

                              condemn Chinese attempts to discredit the Taiwanese government’s handling of the pandemic; commend Taiwan’s effective bottom-up approach, led by its citizens, to fact-check news and information using technology, such as AI, to scale up efforts and enable fact-checkers to identify the most harmful claims circulating on social media platforms and thus stop their spread;

                              (y)

                              recall that the threat Taiwan faces from China’s disinformation operations is part of a larger problem facing democracies across the globe in an era where communication technologies are central to the geopolitical competition for global leadership; recall that China, together with other non-democratic countries, also remains a major threat to democracies in Europe through disinformation campaigns, a threat that has significantly increased with the pandemic, as the 2020 June EEAS report noted; note that cooperation in the fight against disinformation is therefore in the interest of both the EU and Taiwan;

                              (z)

                              further promote current EU-Taiwan cooperation on research and innovation in the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (2021-2027); urge the participation of more Taiwanese researchers in Horizon Europe in future;

                              (aa)

                              further promote tourism and youth exchanges with Taiwan through initiatives such as the working holiday, the Erasmus programmes or the Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship, and explore opportunities for cooperation in higher education and other areas with the goal of strengthening Chinese and Taiwanese expertise in Europe and contributing to a better understanding of Europe in Taiwan;

                              (ab)

                              encourage the EU and its Member States to enhance cooperation with Taiwan in the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), which is a regional cooperation platform for capacity-building and training programmes for third countries around the globe;

                              (ac)

                              change the name of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan to ‘European Union Office in Taiwan’ in order to reflect the broad scope of our ties;

                              (ad)

                              welcome the plans to set up a Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania; condemn the Chinese government’s reaction of imposing economic sanctions on Lithuania; express its support and solidarity with Lithuania in this regard, take appropriate measures, and call on the Council to do likewise;

                              (ae)

                              commend Taiwan as an outstanding partner in promoting human rights and freedom of religion in the Indo-Pacific region; acknowledge Taiwan’s performance in setting an example in the region with its strong record of respect for fundamental freedoms, both economic and social, as well as political and cultural rights, including progress on LGBTQI people’s rights, and the rights of indigenous communities; the EU Special Representative for Human Rights and the EU Special Envoy for the Freedom of Religion or Belief to participate in international human rights conventions in Taiwan and to take concrete action to work with Taiwan to advance human rights, social rights, religious freedom, the digital economy and sustainable growth of the developing countries in the Indo-Pacific region;

                              (af)

                              strengthen cooperation with Taiwan with a view to exchanging best practices in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, launching initiatives to facilitate the procurement of vaccines and continuing to enhance the EU’s cooperation with Taiwan in health and communicable disease control; commend the Taiwanese government and its people for their relatively successful containment of the pandemic domestically and for their generosity in extending help to other countries; recall that Taiwan’s effective response relied on transparency, openness and the use of technology in collaboration with society, an approach rooted in public trust;

                              (ag)

                              commend Taiwan’s acts of solidarity with the EU, as demonstrated by the donation of over 7 million surgical masks to several Member States during the dire early months of the pandemic, as well five mask production lines to the Czech Republic; call for this solidarity to be reciprocated;

                              (ah)

                              continue to encourage intelligence sharing between Member States and Taiwan and the joint fight against cross-border crime;

                              (ai)

                              acknowledge that the US and Japan have highlighted for the first time the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in the joint statement of a recent bilateral summit, which was then followed by a similar statement by the G7 in early May; urge the EU to work together with other like-minded partners, such as Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States, and consider inviting Taiwan to participate with its partners in existing platforms and working groups on critical industries;

                              (aj)

                              encourage Member States which do not have an Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion or a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Taiwan to initiate negotiations on such agreements as soon as possible;

                  2.

                  Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as the Government of Taiwan.

         (1)  OJ C 181, 19.5.2016, p. 52.