On Friday 30 June, European and Japanese public services unions urged the European Commission and Japanese government to ensure greater transparency in the EU-Japan free trade negotiations, and to pursue a more open and progressive trade agenda. These negotiations entered a decisive phase this week.
In a joint press release, the European Public Services Union (EPSU) and the PSI Japan Council (representing public service unions in Japan) regret that their demand for increased transparency and a consultation mechanism involving the social partners, as well as their demands on workers' rights, public services and investment are still on hold. EPSU and the PSI together represent over 9 million public sector workers in Japan and Europe.
The two unions say they are "worried" that the EU-Japan free trade agreement includes many of the controversial elements of the EU-Canada (CETA) agreement –such as the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, the liberalisation of public services and extensive regulatory cooperation that would undermine democratic processes.
They call for the chapter on sustainable development to ensure government ratification of the ILO conventions on abolishing forced labour and on discrimination. They also call for the chapter to go further by including the ILO agenda on decent work.
EPSU and the PSI call for the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism not be included – even on the basis of the European Commission's proposal for a special investment court. They also call for the clear exclusion of public services and health services from the scope of the agreement. In addition, they want local public authorities not to be obliged to open their markets, and they call for the agreement not to include an extended chapter on regulatory cooperation. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)