Brussels, 15/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 15 March, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager and Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) Chairman Kuzuyuki Sugimoto agreed in Tokyo to prepare the upgrading of the existing EU-Japan cooperation agreement. This dates back to July 2003 and deals with anti-competitive activities, enabling the exchange of evidence between the European Commission and the Japanese administration during the course of joint investigations into anti-competitive practices.
Vestager and Sugimoto also discussed the latest developments in competition policy. She noted with interest the draft JFTC guidelines on competition policy and public support for revitalisation, and shared the European Commission's experience in dealing with rescue and restructuring aid.
As part of her visit to Tokyo, Vestager was also due to meet Japan's Minister for Administrative Reform Taro Kono, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Junji Suzuki, and Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Tomomi Inada. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)