Brussels, 23/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - In the run-up to the EU-Japan summit on 28 May which, while it may not see negotiations opened on a free-trade agreement, is likely to give the go-ahead to “scoping” talks, to establish the scope of any future agreement, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is reported by the Kyodo News agency as having made a gesture towards the EU in issuing instructions to his cabinet ministers on 20 May to step up efforts to meet the preconditions set by Brussels - commitments from the Japanese to remove non-tariff barriers and restrictions to access to public contracts.
On 13 May, European trade ministers backed the idea from Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to carry out a scoping exercise before any agreement. Addressing the European Parliament on 9 May, De Gucht set out the expectations of the level of ambition of a free-trade agreement which included: - duty-free, quota-free market access for all goods; - credible roadmaps for the removal of non-tariff barriers; - an open investment system to achieve levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Japan comparable to those of other OECD countries; - the opening up of Japanese public contract markets to a similar extent as the EU's. (E.H./transl.rt)