RI needs to heed chaning EU policies
RI needs to heed chaning EU policies
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia needs to be more responsive to changes
in the European Union as the regional integration process
intensifies, ambassador Adrianus Mooy said.
Mooy, who just completed his term as Indonesia's ambassador to
the European Union, said yesterday that Indonesia must pay closer
attention to the issues of human rights and East Timor in its
relations with Europe.
"The power of the European Parliament, following the
Maastricht Treaty, has been expanded. Many policies of the union
must have the approval of the European Parliament," he told
reporters.
Portugal is also increasingly using the forum to influence
other members on their policies for Indonesia, he said.
Mooy was speaking to reporters after reporting to President
Soeharto on ending his ambassadorial assignment.
An economist by training, who was governor of Bank Indonesia
before his appointment to Brussels in 1993, Mooy will next month
begin a new job as executive secretary of the United Nations'
Economic and Social Committee for Asia Pacific.
Indonesia once complained to the chief of the European
Parliament about the way it has been issuing resolutions against
Indonesia without giving Jakarta a chance to first respond to the
charges, Mooy said. "That's why it would really help if we could
intensify our visits to the European Parliament in order to
explain our position to them."
On the economic front, the ambassador said Indonesia should
anticipate the changes that come with the integration process.
Citing an example, he said Belgium is now imposing a quota on
Indonesia textiles and is also imposing higher tariffs.
Indonesia may be entitled for some compensation because of
these changes, he said, adding that he has compared notes with
the U.S. ambassador in the European Union on this issue because
the United States is filing for compensation also.
Indonesian companies should also be more responsive to
questionnaires sent by the European Union in connection with
anti-dumping charges, Mooy said, noting that he has received
complaints in Brussels about questionnaires being returned
incomplete or beyond the deadline.
Indonesia also needs to intensify its campaign to attract
investors from Europe and to vie, in particular, for the
relocation of industries from the continent, he said.
He noted that many of the Indonesian-made footwear goods that
found their way to European companies are produced by companies
that have relocated their plants from Asian countries like Japan
and South Korea.
"It would be nice if the investment had originated from Europe
and the goods produced and exported to European markets," he
said. (emb)