Due to the deadly weather conditions that hit Japan last weekend, the European and Japanese leaders agreed on Monday 9 July to postpone the 25th EU-Japan summit that was initially planned for 11 July in Brussels, and to move it to Tokyo, thus putting off the signature of the strategic partnership and economic partnership agreements until this date.
European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will meet Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in Tokyo for this reason after the EU-China summit in Beijing on 16 July, the Council and Commission stated on Monday.
Mentioning the deadly rains that have ravaged the west of Japan, the Japanese government announced the cancellation of Abe's tour to Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Like other European leaders (see other article), Juncker expressed the Europeans' solidarity with that of the Japanese people, a Commission spokesperson stated.
The EU and Japan will thus sign their vast freed trade agreement only next Monday. The agreement was concluded in December 2017, and the EU and Japan would like it to enter into force in early 2019 (see EUROPE 12056). In order for this to happen, the agreement will have to be approved by the European Parliament and Japanese Diet.
In the European Parliament on Monday, the former chief negotiator and special assistant of the Japanese minister of foreign affairs, Yoichi Suzuki, gave assurances that his government would send the text of the agreement to the Diet swiftly, once it has been signed.
The European Parliament rapporteur, Pedro Silva Pereira (S&D, Portugal) gave assurances that the postponement of the signature would not change the timetable set for the assessment of the text by MEPs: - the initial exchange of views in the international trade committee at the end of August; - the presentation of the drafts of the text, recommendation and resolution in early September; - a visit of the parliamentary delegation to Japan on 18-20 September; - the assessment of the draft recommendation at the end of September; - the lodging of amendments in the first half of October; - the committee vote on 5 November; - the plenary vote in December. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)