Brussels, 24/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - On 15 July, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Taiwan, or Chinese Taipei) officially became a full member of the WTO agreement on public procurement (AGP). The European Commission welcomed the formal green light which was given last December by the competent committee of the WTO to Taiwan's accession to the AGP. In 2007, the Taiwanese market for public procurement was worth €16.8 billion. In June 2008, Taipei announced an investment plan of €100 billion over eight years to modernise infrastructure (extending the airports of Taoyuan Taichung and an Eastern rail project). Since 1998, foreign providers have won 20% of public procurement contracts in Taiwan, worth a total of €120 billion, 3% of which went to European businesses (€3.7 billion). The AGP, which entered into force in 1981, aims to open up the public procurement market to international competition in such a way as to ensure that the laws, rules, procedures and practices are more transparent and do not protect national products or suppliers, or create discrimination against foreign products or suppliers. The scope of application of the current AGP, which was re-negotiated during the Uruguay round and which entered into force early in 1996, has been extended to cover contracts issued by central government entities, local authorities and public works, and a number of services. (E.H./transl.fl)