[Background]
The Strategic Partnership between the European Union (EU) and China is based on the ‘Trade and Cooperation Agreement’ signed in 1985 by the two parties and covers, a part from the external affairs, issues related to security and international challenges such as climate change and global economic governance. EU-China Association developed further through the creation in 2003 of a ‘Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership’ which set up later in 2013 a ‘Strategic Agenda EU-China 2020’.
In order to establish a sharing platform for policy coordination, information and technology interaction in the field of energy, leaders from China and Central and Eastern European countries issued the Suzhou Guidelines for Cooperation Between China and Central and Eastern European Countries during the Suzhou Summit in 2015. China encourages Romania’s initiative in establishing a dialogue center for energy between China and Central and Eastern European Countries.
The proposal encourages academia, the business environment, institutions and government administrations in China and the 16 states of the Central and Eastern Europe to promote and exchange best practices in view of common development.
[Members]
China
[Mission]
The Center’s activity aims at securing a pool of information and sector-specific knowledge that would contribute to the regional and European process of policy-making with a view to supporting further development of energy-related cooperation among entities both within the ‘16+1’ format and among said entities and other parties and cooperation platforms or individual stakeholders.
While anchored in a purely economic and commercial rationale, enhancing the cooperation between China and the Central and South-Eastern Europe member states in the above-mentioned fields can ultimately contribute to achieving important objectives set for regional cooperation in the EU, the implementation of the Energy Union Strategy and climate change towards 2020-2035-2050.
Without replacing existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and/or platforms, the Center seeks to complement the already agreed Agendas and Strategies and further reinforce the 16+1 cooperation by expanding knowledge of the acquis achieved in regulation, commercial and/or technological fields to non-EU countries in priority-areas like renewable energies, marts Grids,energy efficiency, clean coal, nuclear energy.
[Constitution]
The agenda of the Center for Dialogue and Cooperation on Energy Projects 16+1 will follow closely the 16+1 annual meetings and Summit, in order to benefit from the high-level participants to these events with a view to enhancing the visibility and the commitment of the members of the Center.
The CDCDEP 16+1 annual agenda include:
An Annual Summit of Heads of States and Governments;
A Business Forum, a side event of the Summit;
Two annual National Coordinators’ meetings, organized in both China and in one of the CEE state.
Proposed formats for annual events:
A launching event, followed by an annual anniversary event that may be dedicated to a previously- agreed key-topic;
An annual fair or exhibition, preceded by a kick-off High-Level reception;
An annual delegation meeting of energy representatives of the 16+1 states, a side-event of one of the National Coordinators’ (to be discussed);
An annual event in Brussels– aligning EU-16+1 objectives (to be discussed);
Thematic working group meetings as per priority issues identified.
[Cooperation Document]
Memorandum of Understanding CDCDEP16+1
Editor: Gao Yaling
