Strasbourg, 25/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has given its endorsement to free trade talks with Japan but demands that talks be suspended if Tokyo fails to deliver clear results.
In a resolution drafted by Vital Moreira (S&D, Portugal) and Metin Kazak (ALDE, Bulgaria), adopted in plenary on Thursday 25 October, the European Parliament gives its go-ahead to talks for a bilateral free trade agreement between the EU and Japan. On 18 July, the Commission asked for a negotiating brief for those talks. Although it underlines the “huge gains” for growth and jobs to be made with such an agreement, the Parliament nonetheless wants Tokyo to make a considerable effort on lifting non-tariff barriers, especially in the automobile sector.
The Parliament stresses that the Council's negotiating directives also require major concessions on Japan's part when it comes to public procurement, in strategic sectors such as railway and urban transport and also the postal services. It also calls for a binding dispute settlement mechanism allowing new measures for combating the emergence of new non-tariff barriers and new obstacles to access to public procurement in Japan after entry into force of the agreement.
In addition to the safeguard clause linking tariff liberalisation on the European side with Nippon efforts on non-tariff barriers and public procurement, the Parliament calls for bilateral safeguard measures in the motor and electronics sectors, as well as the setting in place of implementation measures for protecting the EU's geographic indications. Finally, the Parliament calls for a binding revision clause to be included within one year from the opening of talks in order to assess whether Japan presents tangible results on the lifting of tariff barriers. If such is not the case, then negotiations will be suspended. (EH/transl.jl)