Brussels, 29/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Commission's negotiating mandate includes a robust safeguard clause for sensitive European products and a clause to suspend the talks if Japan does not keep its commitments on non-tariff barriers.
European trade ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday 29 November gave the go-ahead for the launch of free trade talks with Japan. The Commission's negotiating guidelines unveiled in July for gradual and mutual liberalisation of trade in goods and services, investment and the lifting of non-tariff barriers have been amended by the most cautious member states, headed by France.
We are fully aware of the sensitivity of market access among the member states and are sure that we have found the necessary balance in the negotiating guidelines we've given the Commission, commented Cypriot trade minister Neoklis Sylikiotis (who had chaired the meeting) after the talks.
Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said he was happy with the Council's go-ahead: “We have a clear mandate confirmed by all the member states which sets out Europe's objectives. The mandate sets out a strict a clear parallelism between the elimination of our duties and non tariff barriers in Japan. Second there is a safeguard clause to protect EU's sensitive sectors. Thirdly we explicitly reserve ourselves the right to pull the plug after one year if Japan doesn't live up its commitments to removing non-tariff barriers.”
De Gucht said new progress had been made in the talks with Japan, including the scrapping of key barriers like alcohol licences. He said that this change has given the EU all the guarantees it could reasonably hope for ahead of the launch of the official negotiations: “So let's not be anxious, Europe is not naïve, Europe is going into this negotiation with eyes wide opened.” He said the agreement would generate GDP growth of 0.8% and more than 400,000 jobs for the EU. (EH/transl.fl)