Category: Archive – 2013

World
It Show – 22-23 May Seoul,
Korea – The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
is promoting the World IT show – B2B Buyer Meeting and Korea-EU Joint
Cooperation Seminar – as one of its brokerage events. The World IT show will be held on
22nd and 23rd May 2013 in Seoul (Korea).

Mobile/ Communications / BroadcastingCloud

Computing / Big Data / IT Service

Software / Digital Contents

IT Convergence

Industrial Electronics

The B2B Buyer Meeting will be hend on
22nd May 2013. Participants need to be companies and ideally prospective buyers
of Korean products.

ASIA
EU Matchmaking Event 21
– 23 May Beijing,
China

The Asia EU Matchmaking event in Beijing is a quick
and easy way to meet potential cooperation partners. You will be able to meet people and build on
connections for a future cooperation.

The event will focus on:

Electronic Information and Communication

Engineering and Manufacturing

New
materials and New Energy

Environmental protection

Agriculture and Green Technology

Bio-Engineering and Pharmaceuticals

Futurallia
Istanbul 2013 5-7
June 2013

Malta-based companies in Malta are invited to
participate in a Matchmaking event due to be held in Istanbul on 5 – 7 June
2013.

"Futurallia Istanbul 2013" will gather more than 20
business sectors from 30 countries in Istanbul during these 3 days. In the past years, Futurallia was held in France,
Canada, Belgium, Poland, Qatar and the USA, and for the first time it has been
decided to organise this international event in Istanbul, Turkey.

The main sectors represented at this Matchmaking Event
are:

Automotive

Machinery & Metallurgy

Electric & Electronics

Construction

Textile & clothing

Aviation

Environmental Technologies

ICT Print Sector

Food (Agro-Food)

Furniture

Logistics

Health, Cosmetic and Medical products

Services

Biotechnology

Chemical
Sector

Malta
Enterprise is also offering the possibility to part- finance travelling costs
up to 50% plus daily per diem for participation in such approved
activities.  

The German company Timm Elektronik
GmbH develops and manufactures measuring and control-equipment for the
petrochemical and chemical industry mainly in Europe. They specialise in the
production of explosion proof equipment, which enables the safe loading and
unloading of flammable liquids of tank trucks, railway wagons and ships which
are typically used in tank farms, refineries and harbours. The company has been
in business for 50 years and is considered to be a market leader for some of
the products it produces.

The company would like to further its
business to Northern Africa as well as to the Near and Middle East and is
therefore looking for a business partner located in Malta.

The Maltese partner should be a
company that is supplying the petro-chemical and chemical industry (tank farms,
refineries, harbours, etc.) with equipment/systems/ engineering services, and
is knowledgeable and has experience within the explosion-proof equipment and
systems.       Send an email on if interested

Innovation performance in the EU has
improved year on year in spite of the continuing economic crisis, but the
innovation divide between Member States is widening. This is the result of the
European Commission Innovation Union Scoreboard 2013, a ranking of EU Member
States. While the most innovative countries have further improved their
performance, others have shown a lack of progress.

European Commission Vice President
Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said:
"This year's results show that the economic crisis has negatively impacted
innovation activity in  some parts of
Europe. Investment in innovation is crucial if we want to maintain our global
competitiveness and restore growth in Europe. We need to encourage
entrepreneurship as SMEs have been a key driver of innovation."
Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, responsible for Research, Innovation and
Science, said: "Innovation should now be at the heart of all Member
States' policy agendas. Our latest State of the Innovation Union report, also
published today, shows we made progress in 2012 on some of the big ticket items
like the Unitary Patent and new rules for venture capital funds, but we need to
go further in order to avoid an innovation divide in Europe." The European
Commission has also today published a report complementary to the Scoreboard.
The State of the Innovation Union report shows that the Commission has already
largely delivered on the Innovation Union flagship commitments.

The Malta Council for Science and
Technology is currently preparing the update to the National Research and
Innovation strategy based on input from the business sector in order to
identify the major strengths and opportunities for innovation in Malta. The
outcomes of these discussions will help shape the priorities for funding in
terms of the European Cohesion Funding for the period 2014 – 2020.

The Malta Council for Science and
Technology is organising a series of focus groups to bring together private
sector stakeholders for an interactive discussion to help determine the
potential for research and innovation based growth in niche areas within these
sectors: tourism, energy, the creative industries, health, high value-added
services and manufacturing, financial services, ICT and transport, as well as
the kind of support measures which you feel are necessary to exploit this
potential to the full.  It is important
to emphasise that the discussion will focus on the means towards
innovation-based growth within niche areas in these sectors.

You are kindly invited to register to
participate in any of these focus groups by completing the attached
Registration Form and forwarding by e-mail to by 3rd April
2013.

MCST will organise one or more focus
groups during April and May. Those who submit their expression of interest by
the above deadline will be informed of the date and time of the focus group
meeting in due course.

For further information call on 2360
2121 or 2360 2148.

Update to machines accepting/authenticating money required. Meetings for GRTU Members – Money Authentication Machine Suppliers – 3rd April at
17.30, Petrol Stations – 3rd April at 19.00, Retailers – 9th April at 16.00. This meeting is very important in order to be prepared
for the new bank notes.

GRTU urges
Malta's anti-dumping committee representative to vote against the imposition of
anti-dumping duties – On 15 November 2012, the European Commission imposed – against the
recommendation of a majority of the EU's member states – provisional
anti-dumping duties of up to 58.8% on tableware and kitchenware originating in
the People's Republic of China.

In this context, GRTU has writtin officially to Government, calling on the Maltese
anti-dumping committee representative to vote against the imposition of
anti-dumping duties in the vote for definitive 5-year measures later this
spring.

GRTU
held a consultation meeting with its members importers of China originating
tableware and kitchenware in collaboration with the Economic Policy Division on
17^th October 2012. During the meeting direct feedback was given
and it was made clear that such an anti-dumping duty is not in the interest of
Maltese importers, retailers and consumers. GRTU had also made this its
position in writing and stated clearly that we oppose the imposition of such an
anti-dumping duty.

GRTU's
main objection to any antidumping duties was that they would impose unnecessary
extra costs upon consumers and that these would outweigh any benefits to
European producers. Additional arguments include:

Any suggestion that additional duties could be absorbed
by retailers is incorrect, especially
since the duty is planned to be substantial. In order to avoid unsustainable
losses, anything including the most marginal duty rates would have to be passed
on to consumers.

Imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware
originating from China particularly tend to be concentrated in lower value
ranges. This means that any increase in prices resulting from the
imposition of duties is likely to affect those consumers least able to afford
it.

There are a significant amount of European producers
who import products from China and finish those products in the European Union,
before exporting onto the world market. These businesses will also be placed at
a competitive disadvantage compared to other global producers by the imposition
of European duties.

It is not at all clear that the imposition of
antidumping duties would lead to increased sourcing from European producers. In
fact, according to our members, antidumping duties would more likely result in
a switch to sourcing from other third countries e.g. Bangladesh and Vietnam.

European suppliers tend to excel in providing premium
products, focused on design quality. European suppliers would not be able to
compete at the same price points as Chinese suppliers where production requires
a higher level of labour input, such as for example small cast items with hand
painting, such as mugs and coasters.

There is an insufficient number of European producers
capable of supplying the volumes required by EU importers and therefore we will
face lack of supply which leaves no option but to seek other markets. In
addition many European producers also do not have the technical capability to
produce certain products required, for example stacking mugs.

Stoneware is not widely available in the EU. The
alternative earthenware is generally more porous and not as hardwearing.
In addition the surface of earthenware is grainy so many techniques cannot be
achieved.

In
summary, as a result of the provisional anti-dumping duties, retailers are
suffering reduced margins and consumers are paying higher prices, but there are
no extra orders going to European manufacturers. We do not believe that
Anti-dumping duties are in the Union's interest.  They increase prices for
consumers and add to inflationary pressures, without delivering any significant
benefits to European producers. The uncertainty created by the investigation
involves other unnecessary additional costs for retailers, wholesalers and
importers and works against other agreed EU policy objectives.

GRTU therefore urged Malta's anti-dumping
committee representative to vote against the imposition of anti-dumping duties
in the vote for definitive measures later this spring. GRTU requested a
commitment by Government to vote in the interest of Malta and inform GRTU as
the national directly interested representative with Malta's national voting
intention.

GRTU Director General and EESC
Employers representative Vincent Farrugia has referred to discussions taking
place with the aim of establishing a European Framework of Actions on Youth
Employment Negotiations during the EESC Plenary on this month. With more than
26 million Europeans unemployed, a key condition is to create more and better
jobs in addition to the 2 million existing vacancies in Europe. The level of
youth unemployment is rising across Europe in many countries, a situation which
has been exasperated by the financial and economic crisis.

Adequate macro-economic policies and
targeted measures for productive investment are needed to foster growth and a
job rich recovery. The competitiveness of EU products and services depends
significantly on investment in research & development, innovation,
education and training. There is a lack of certain key competences and a
shortage of adequate skills in certain sectors and regions in Europe, in
particular related to new industries' and specific public services' needs.

Well-designed employment regulations
are needed to promote more opportunities for young people to obtain a job. When
devising solutions to maximize youth employment opportunities, it is important
to maintain an adequate level of social and labour rights. Active labour market
policies are also needed to promote young people's access to employment, which
enables them to become independent.

Coaching, tutoring and mentoring,
including through intergenerational cooperation, can facilitate the integration
of young people in their first job. Such an approach can help enterprises
promote simultaneously young and older workers employment. Moreover, individual
competence development plans can allow employers and employees to identify the
required competences of the young worker in a given work situation.

A majority of young people working
under temporary employment contracts choose to do so. However, due to a lack of
jobs, some young people may find themselves with no other alternative than to
accept a succession of short-term and/or part time contracts even though they
would prefer working full-time in permanent contracts. Therefore, social
partners and public authorities need to ensure that the conditions are right
for job creation and that permanent, temporary and short-term contracts are
regulated in a way that fosters sustainable integration of young people into
employment.

The Framework of Actions on Youth
Employment will establish a number of important actions and recommendations to
improve youth employment. These are currently in the final stage of discussions
between Employer Organisations and Trade Unions.

GRTU is launching the PVPFS scheme, which GRTU has
tailored with a leading local bank, that ensures that client can find the
purchasing of a PV system increasingly affordable through paying by
installments without having to fork out any additional money. This while the
system is generating electricity that compensates for the payments done.

If calculated on an average system that would cost
around €5,000, the utilization of the PVPFS would mean that the client shall
have no upfront payments to make and instead start paying the bank a monthly
fee of €75 for 3 years, which works out to the exact same amount as if they did
not use the PVPFS scheme. In addition to this the client will save circa €82.81
from the electricity bill  per month. When deducting the € 75 monthly
payment to the bank from the €82.81 electricity saving, not only will the system
be paying itself but the client would be making a profit of around € 7.81 per
month during the first 3 years.

For the following 3 years the client is
guaranteed the same €0.22c feed in tariff(six year agreement), totaling € 993
per year, or € 3,260 profit in the first six years. This means that the
customer not only did not have to fork out any money, but actually started
making profit from day one.  Systems are typically guaranteed for 20
years, and some PV systems which have been installed in Malta around 30 years
ago are still working today.

All
suppliers who have achieved the GRTU APPROVED CERTIFICATE may apply to
participate in the PVPFS, and a second information session for suppliers shall
be held shortly due to a very encouraging turnout. 

Food waste amounts to 89 million tonnes a year in the
EU, while 79 million EU citizens live below the poverty line. In its opinion on
Prevention and reduction of food waste,
adopted on 20 March 2013, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
calls on the European Commission to take steps to counter this dramatic trend
aggravated by the economic crisis.

"The situation is unacceptable. Sadly, the
current crisis has increased the number of people who depend on social
assistance but reduced the number of food banks, even though the need for them
has risen sharply. Paradoxically, up to 30% of food gets wasted in EU
households, supermarkets, restaurants and along the food supply chain each
year. We must take action to stop this", stated Yves Somville (Various
interests group, Belgium), rapporteur for the EESC opinion on Prevention and reduction of food waste.

The EESC calls for a coordinated strategy at European
level, combining EU-wide and national measures, to improve the efficiency of
the food supply and consumption chains and to tackle food wastage as a matter
of urgency. Preventing and reducing food waste is important not only in the
wider context of food security and resource efficiency: it is also a social
issue.

The EESC recommends developing platforms for
exchanging experience on combating food waste and passing on existing examples
of good practices: channelling products from the food retail and catering
sectors to food banks, initiatives on taxation, discharge of liability for
donors or removal of administrative constraints are a few actions already
successfully implemented in some EU countries and regions.

In the EESC's view, the prevention and reduction of
food losses and food waste must be given a key place on the political agenda.
Combating food waste is already a fully-fledged policy in some Member States
and regions. The EESC calls for it to be made an EU-wide policy. Some 79
million EU citizens live below the poverty line and 16 million depend on food
aid, while 30% of food (89 million tonnes per year) gets wasted.