Brussels, 17/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström stated on Friday 13 March that she wanted an “ambitious” trade agreement between the EU and Japan.
“Talks are progressing slowly but surely. We have exchanged offers on tariffs and services. We are preparing to exchange significant revised offers on public procurement. And we are consolidating the texts of various chapters of the agreement. But we still have a lot of work to do”, Malmström said at a conference in Stockholm.
“I am very pleased that the prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe has said clearly that he is confident that we can reach a final agreement before the end of 2015. Several EU leaders have also made it clear they would like this, if we can get the agreement we want sooner. But we have to bear in mind that the level of ambition and the conditions have to be right. A quick agreement that isn't good enough will not provide Europe or Japan with the expected benefits”, she warned.
EU and Japanese negotiators have already conducted nine rounds of talks, the last of which was in Brussels in February. The next will take place in Tokyo at the end of April.
On Friday, Malmström called for the removal of as many barriers as possible to trade relations which, though “solid”, have nonetheless shrunk (worth a little over €100 billion per year, they are smaller than those with Turkey and barely bigger than with South Korea) and are suffering from “under-performing” investment relations, particularly as the Japanese market is very closed to direct foreign investment, receiving only 1% of global investment (34% of which is from the EU).
On tariffs, the greatest opportunities are in foodstuffs, drinks and agricultural produce, Malmström said. “Of course, we must each respect the other's sensitivities but the EU will not accept that every party offers a lesser agreement than what it has negotiated with other developed countries, like Canada and South Korea”, she stressed.
It is also about improving the investment climate, opening up public contracts, particularly in the Japanese rail market, and eliminating non-tariff measures, such as “the whole range of standards and technical regulations that form an unfair barrier to exports of alcohol, beef and other EU foodstuffs”, added the commissioner. Furthermore, Japan has to adopt a number of UN international standards on the safety of cars, which are recognised in Europe, she went on.
In addition, Malmström also called for the trade agreement with Japan to allow “new opportunities” for companies in the pharmaceutical and chemical products, electrical equipment, telecommunications, textiles, fashion, building materials, cosmetics and consumer goods sectors. (Emmanuel Hagry)