EU committee wants better connections with Asia

brussels - Europe and Asia can better connect, not only with better transport links, but also in the digital and energy fields. The European Commission presented Wednesday a strategy that should give the connections between both continents a boost.

The idea is to extend European (transport) networks to Asian countries. The necessary investments have to be made in an open and transparent way, sustainable, with a level playing field and respect for the rules.

'Our world depends on a smooth and safe flow of goods, services and people,' according to the daily EU administration. Annual infrastructure investment in Asia is estimated at 1.3 trillion euros. This offers many opportunities for European companies, but then there must be 'robust legal' guarantees.

The plans can be seen as an answer to the Chinese Belt \u0026 amp; Road initiative from 2013, intended to revive the trade routes of the former Silk Road. Not all countries have positive experiences with this because Beijing attaches certain conditions to project investments.

The committee also wants to work closely with the Chinese, 'despite the differences in approach and implementation. 'Better connections are not possible if the systems and networks do not match each other. The committee will work more closely with international organizations to draw up and enforce global rules and standards.

EU foreign head chef Mogherini hopes that the member states will quickly give the green light to the strategy, even before an EU-Asia summit that will be held in Brussels in a month.