Brussels, 19/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and Japan have agreed to speed up talks on a free-trade agreement by April 2014.
“While we expressed satisfaction with the advances made so far, we also recognised that there is still a considerable way to go and that time is pressing. For this reason, we instructed our ministers and commissioners to assure that substantive progress is achieved before the formal review of the FTA negotiations in the European Union, which is scheduled for April next year”, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said after the EU-Japan summit in Tokyo, on Tuesday 19 November.
Adopted during the summit, the joint declaration points out that the two parties will present “without delay ambitious market access offers on trade in goods, trade in services and procurement, and address the issues of non-tariff measures and railways”. Presentation of the offers could take place early 2014 (see EUROPE 10963).
The EU considers that a free-trade agreement with Japan could increase its GDP up to 0.8% and generate 400,000 jobs. It is adamant about lifting non-tariff barriers that can take the form of safety norms and approval procedures in sectors such as the motor industry, medicines and food. In this respect, the summit welcomed the partial lifting of the Japanese embargo on beef from two member states, the will shown by Japan to analyse requests from other countries on a scientific basis, as well as the lifting of the European embargo on Japanese beef.
Engaged in negotiations on a strategic partnership agreement, the EU and Japan underline their growing cooperation with regard to international security. “We now cooperate in areas as diverse as support to Mali and counter-piracy actions off the Horn of Africa”, said Van Rompuy. The timeliness of cooperating in the field of cyber-security and space policy will be explored.
Greatly concerned by the nuclear threat from North Korea, the EU and Japan acknowledge, moreover, that current tension, including in the maritime areas of East Asia, could have an adverse impact on regional security, stability and prosperity if they were to continue and worsen. They went on to call for conflict settlement in line with international law. (MB/transl.jl)