Eco-tone

The delegations from DG Environment of the European Commission, Mr. Timo Makela, Director for International Affairs, LIFE, and Eco-Innovation, Ms. Irina Lazzerini, Policy Officer for International Affairs of the European Commission (photo: from left), and Ms. Sunmi Lee from the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea, paid an official visit to the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) on 23 June 2011. Mr. Lee, Tae-Sung, General Manager of Green Business Promotion Department of the Small and Medium Business Corporation (SBC) and Mr. Lee. Sang-Hun, Director of Green Growth Team of the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA) welcomed them, followed by welcoming remarks and brief introduction of the ASEIC. In response, Mr. Makela congratulated the official launch of the ASEIC as inter-regional platform between Europe and Asia and introduced a number of EU initiatives and programmes, such as Eco-Innovation Programme and Switch-Asia Programme, which could be relevant to the possible activities of the ASEIC.

During the meeting, participants mainly discussed the issue of establishing future institutional partnership between the ASEIC and DG Environment of the European Commission on how to effectively promote eco-innovation in both Asia and Europe. Representatives from both sides agreed to make an effort to create solid partnership between them. In doing so, they agreed to find possible opportunities of cooperation on international forum and conference as its first step.