In its second year of operation, the Modernisation Fund has disbursed a total of €4.11 billion in support of 61 projects in eight beneficiary countries. These projects will help modernise energy systems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in energy, industry, transport and agriculture, and improve energy efficiency. Supporting these investments will help those Member States to meet their 2030 climate and energy targets and accelerate the EU's green transition.

Disbursements were made this year to Croatia (€119.8 million), Czechia (€1.34 billion), Estonia (€62.4 million), Hungary (€74.3 million), Lithuania (€85 million), Poland (€643.2 million), Romania (€1.39 billion), and Slovakia (€399.5 million). In June, €2.4 billion was already disbursed to support 45 investment proposals, and this is now complemented by a €1.71 billion disbursement today to back 16 more investment proposals.

This year, the 61 investment proposals selected under the Modernisation Fund focus on electricity generation from renewables, modernisation of energy networks and energy efficiency in the energy sector, in industry, in buildings, and in transport, and the replacement of coal generation with lower carbon intensity fuel.

We would like to wish all our Slovenian members, friends and connections a happy Independence and Unity Day!

Dan samostojnosti in enotnosti

On behalf of our fellow member The Alice Smith School, we would like share Alice Smith’s First International Philanthropy Award.

The Alice Smith School Foundation wrapped up the year on a high note with the CASE Circle of Excellence Award, having won a Bronze Award in the category of targeted campaigns and appeals (COVID-related) for the #BuildKindness- Support the Urban Poor fundraising campaign, benefitting Kechara Soup Kitchen Malaysia. Alice Smith is the only school to receive recognition in this category alongside reputable universities worldwide.

To create higher awareness in our community on the need to help eradicate poverty and support this vulnerable community during the pandemic, the #BuildKindness campaign was launched. In partnership with Kechara Soup Kitchen Malaysia (KSK), the goal was to support 25 urban poor families of KSK with food sustenance for a year.  

We would like to welcome Adastra Intellectual Property (M) Sdn Bhd as a new member of EUROCHAM Malaysia! We are excited to work together with your esteemed organisation as we strive to bolster alliances and strengthen partnerships within the EU-MY business community. We are #strongertogether as we work to provide the utmost best service to our ecosystem.

Adastra’s strong legal and technical expertise gives genuine and personalised services in achieving workable solutions for patents, trademark, copyrights and industrial designs with your business objectives in mind at a reasonable cost. Adastra also provides assistance in resolving disputes, drafting agreements, advising on all aspects of licensing, franchising, branding and communication and obtaining access to financial grants and funding. Adastra’s aim is to use their expertise and resources to ensure that their clients gain the maximum benefit from their creativity and ingenuity.

EUROCHAM Malaysia was glad to have met YB Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry during the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit in conjunction with the 45th Asean-EU Commemorative Summit, in Brussels and we look forward to engaging with the ministry to further bolster alliances.

My first task as deputy international trade and industry minister was to represent my minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, at the 10th Asean-EU Business Summit, in conjunction with the 45th Asean-EU Commemorative Summit, in Brussels. At the forum, I spoke alongside His Excellency Valdis Dombrovskis, an executive vice-president of the European Commission and also its trade commissioner.

Dombrovskis is the former prime minister of Latvia. As one of the executive vice-presidents of the European Commission — the executive wing of the European Union (EU) — he is responsible for “An Economy that Works for People”.

I draw attention to Dombrovskis’ fascinating job title to illustrate the need for trade to work for both his people and “my people”, the people of Malaysia and Asean. Before my session, the secretary-general of Asean, His Excellency Lim Jock Hoi, had called for an effort to build a middle-class society across Asean states.