Answer given by Ms Malmström on behalf of the European Commission
16.1.2019
As stated in the ‘Trade for all — Towards a more responsible trade and investment policy’[1] Communication and reconfirmed in the ‘Report on the Implementation of the Trade Policy Strategy Trade for All — Delivering a Progressive Trade Policy to Harness Globalisation’[2], the Commission continues exploring the launch of negotiations on an investment agreement with Taiwan. Technical contacts were initiated and have been maintained through the regular meetings of the bilateral EU-Taiwan Investment Working Group. To date, the Working Group has met several times, most recently in May 2018, and more meetings may take place in the future. These meetings allow to better understand each other's investment policies and to prepare the technical ground for possible future negotiations.
As it is the case with any major trade initiative, the first step towards the decision to start investment negotiations would indeed be the launch of an impact assessment, based on which the Commission would assess whether to recommend the start of negotiations to the Council.
Recalling that no specific timeframe had been set by the Commission, it is not possible either to specify an exact date as to when the impact assessment and the negotiations will be launched.