The fifth Lecture Café entitled: “EU emissions trading and international aviation and shipping: the position of China” will take place on May 16, 2013 at 18:00 h. – 20:00 h. in KANTL (Koningstraat 18, Gent). Speaker is Prof. Frank Maes, Faculty of Law, Department of International Public Law.

In this lecture, Prof. Frank Maes will explain some major legal issues as a result of the EU directive to impose a cap on CO2 emissions from all flights arriving at or departing from EU ports, regardless the country of origin or destination. Besides, international aviation will be incorporated in the EU emissions trading scheme. According to China and other non-EU countries, this unilateral action of the EU is contrary to international law and universal climate change law. China also fears that a comparable measure will be taken towards international shipping and that this EU action is a breach of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities with consequences towards the future legal climate change architecture.

Prof. Frank Maes holds a Master in Political Sciences: Diplomatic Sciences – Ghent University, a Master in Shipping Law, University of Antwerp (UFSIA) and is Doctor in Law, Ghent University. He is professor Public International Law at the Law Faculty of Ghent University (www.law.ugent.be/intpub), lecturing inter alia International and European Environmental Law.

A free sandwich meal will be provided. Subscribing is free of costs, but mandatory, via https://webapps.ugent.be/eventManager/events/LectureCafes The Lecture Cafés are a joint initiative of the UGent China Platform, the India Platform and the International Office of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering.

Klako Group is holding a webinar on Wednesday, May 22nd: 7pm – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Milan, Paris (For further information on timezones, please refer to the Time Zone Converter) Foreign investors wishing to penetrate the China market may be asking questions like what ownership structures and funding arrangements they should put in place. Good holding structure not only streamlines the business of a group but could also enable future restructuring at low or even no tax costs. On the other hand, overly complicated structures may be difficult and costly to administer. So how to draw the line? There are no hard and fast rules for the “best” model. Each case should be analyzed carefully under its own particular circumstances. In addition ownership structures and funding arrangements could be inter-related. This webinar will look at international tax planning considerations when entering China. The speaker is Kristina Koehler, Director of Klako Group.

Space is limited. Reserve your webinar seat at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/813800462 Should you have difficulties registering for the webinar here, please refer to the website: www.klakogroup.com/en/events After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Please send questions, comments and feedback to: kristina.koehler@klako.com.

The festive departure of the Flax Road will be held on Saturday, 11 May 2013 at 10:30 h. at Vyncke in Harelbeke and at 15 h. at Viavia Reiscafé in Mechelen.

The Flax Road is an initiative of 18 Flemish pioneers who travel the 15,000 kilometer from Flanders to China in two expeditions: from May 11 to June 22, they explore Transcaucasia and Central Asia, where the energy map of the world is being drawn; and after the summer break, from September 8 till October 18, the focus is on western China, motor of the new Silk Road, a land corridor from China’s East Coast to the terminus Antwerp. The Flax Road relates to the Silk Road, along which not only goods were transported, but also ideas and convictions were exchanged between East and West.

10:30 h. at Vyncke, Gentsesteenweg 224, 8530 Harelbeke, with a Representative of the Chinese Embassy; Carl Decaluwé, Governor of the Province of West-Flanders; Michel Delbaere, National Chairman of VOKA; Hans Maertens, Director VOKA West-Flanders and Frédéric Douchy Managing Director Procotex.

Programme: 10:30 h. till 12:30 h.:

• The initiative: Vyncke for another 100 years by Mr. Dirk Vyncke, Pater Familias of Vyncke and the Flax Road
• Flax, yesterday, today and tomorrow by Mr. Frédéric Douchy, Managing Director Procotex
• Harelbeke’s springboard to the world by Mr. Alain Top, Mayor of Harelbeke
• Reception followed by the festive departure of the Flax Road convoy

Please confirm your attendance by e-mail to ltr@vyncke.com

15 h. at Viavia Reiscafé Mechelen, Zandpoortvest 50, 2800 Mechelen.

Programme from 15 h. till 16.30 h.:

• From Viavia Mechelen to Viavia Chengdu, by Bob Elsen, CEO Joker and co-founder of vlasroute.be
• Cosmopolitan Mechelen by Mayor Bart Somers
• Flemish in action by Minister President Kris Peeters
• Snacks and drinks followed by the departure of the Flax Road convoy

Registration: Dries Caems dries.caems@viaviacafe.com.
Map: http://www.viaviacafe.com/nl/content/wiewaar-1

The Vlasroute.be is the initiative of a cohort of spirited and experienced entrepreneurs who will travel overland from Belgium to China by jeep, 15,000 km from (Vyncke) Harelbeke over the Trans-Caucasus lands and through Central Asia to (Vyncke) Suzhou. The Flax Road from Flanders to China symbolically intertwines with the Silk Road.  Much more than durable goods travel along these paths: ideas, technology and convictions are exchanged between East and West.  The ‘Vlasroute’ is not a trade mission or rally. The purpose is to engage in a convivial dialogue with pacesetters on the spot; and to put the Trans-Caucasus, Central Asia and West China on the knowledge map of enterprising Flanders.

The Flax Road to Silk Road Overland will be travelled in two expeditions of each 5-6 weeks and about 7500 km.
- A first expedition tours from Harelbeke to the Caucasus and Central Asia, from the 11th of May until the 22nd of June. The Flax Road crosses Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, over the Caspian Sea to Stan-lands with iconic Silk Road cities: Turkmenistan (Merv), Uzbekistan (Samarkand, Bukhara) and Kyrgyzstan (Fergana Valley). We cross the border to Almaty (Kazakhstan) where the vehicles will be checked during the summer leave.
- The second expedition resumes on the 8th of September in Almaty (Kazakhstan) and lasts until the 17th of October (Suzhou, China east coast). We travel through Kyrgyzstan onto Kashgar (Xinjiang Autonomic Region) and cross China’s West: the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi and Sichuan. Xian in Shaanxi, famous for its terracotta army, was the capital of the empire during the prime days of the Silk Road. The western Chengdu-Chongqing Economical Zone is part of the industrial top in China.

Contact: Lutgart Dusar, lutgart.dusar@lscoop.com, tel.+32477 276977 www.vlasroute.be

On the 25th of April, International SOS is organizing an Executive Briefing on the latest evolution on H7N9 Bird Flu in China. Global medical services company International SOS has 6 clinics in China. Join International SOS medical experts in Beijing for the latest update on the new strain and to discuss pandemic and infectious disease planning. The briefing is targeted at professionals in the fields of human resources, risk & safety, and travel.

More information: marijke.yserbijt@internationalsos.com

The official Brussels-based project launch and Stakeholder Meeting of the ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk, a project funded by the European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry, under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), is to be held on 29 April 2013, 14.00 h. till 17.00 h. at Room Gasperi, Hotel SILKEN Berlaymont, Boulevard Charlemagne 11-19, 1000 Brussels.

Building on the achievements of the China IPR SME Helpdesk, the recently established ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk provides free, practical first-line IPR advice and services to European SMEs working in or with the ASEAN region (target countries include: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). The project aims to enable European SMEs to make the best IPR decisions for their business, and ensure that the creativity and innovation that SMEs bring to the marketplace remain a cornerstone of European competitiveness. The Helpdesk’s business-focused advice is disseminated through the online portal, helpline services, training workshops and seminars, webinars, and published materials. More information on the ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk is available at www.asean-iprhelpdesk.eu.

Please confirm your attendance by responding via email to rsvp@asean-iprhelpdesk.eu, indicating the full name, title, position and contact telephone number of the attendee. The deadline for email confirmations is Thursday, 25 April 2013. In the case of late cancellation please notify the ASEAN Helpdesk team via email.
Helpline: +62 21 572 2056 ext.108 Email: question@asean-iprhelpdesk.eu