At a round of talks at technical level over nearly two weeks in Tokyo, the negotiators of the Commission and Japanese government made "very significant progress" towards concluding a free-trade agreement between the EU and Japan, to which the parties have come "very close", the European negotiator-in-chief, Mauro Petriccione, announced on Saturday 17 December.
"This negotiation is a top priority for Europe. We strongly believe that Europe and Japan can and must show renewed leadership in international trade, especially in these uncertain times. To do so, we must conclude this agreement as soon as possible, but we must also get it absolutely right", Petriccione explained.
"To achieve this, we will need to continue working in the next few weeks, in order to bridge the remaining distance and reach an agreement in principle as early as possible at the beginning of next year", he added, explaining that a number of "very complex" issues were still open.
On access to the market for agricultural products and processed agricultural products, extra work is needed to secure the right balance and take account of Japan's sensitivities and the EU's legitimate interests as the world's largest agricultural exporter, Petriccione said, referring in particular to dairy products, beef and pork meat and wines.
Similarly, the right agreement must ensure a balance between Japan's offensive interests and the EU's concerns in the automotive sector. "This sector is very sensitive in Europe, but we are ready to open our market fully if we get the right agreement, which has to include adequate solutions the non-tariff measures in trade", Petriccione said.
The EU also hopes to find "adequate solutions" to issues such as government procurement or the protection of geographical indications, in which it has offensive interests.
Overall, "only an agreement with a high level of ambition will deliver the real economic benefits in terms of growth and jobs that both Japan and the EU expect from it", the European chief negotiator concluded, also stressing the need for the future agreement to support the values shared by European and Japanese societies, such as transparency, promoting sustainable development and respecting the right of government to regulate in the public interest. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)