The European Union and Japan have agreed to strengthen their regulatory, scientific and industrial cooperation on data, artificial intelligence, quantum, semiconductors and digital infrastructure. They also pledged to address the issue of content moderation on online platforms and to better protect minors online, at the fourth EU-Japan Digital Partnership Council, held in Brussels on Tuesday 5 May.
At a joint press conference, Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, stated that the digital partnership with Japan was “a very strategic choice” for the EU in its efforts to deploy “advanced and trustworthy” digital technologies, technologies that are “integrated into global value chains”, given Japan’s “excellent expertise” in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors and cybersecurity. She was responding to a question on the importance of bilateral cooperation to counter high-risk Chinese companies in these strategic sectors.
“Both sides confirmed that the digital sector is not only a driver of innovation, but also a vital pillar of economic security and resilience”, added Hisashi Matsumoto, Japan’s minister for digital transformation.
The two parties will establish a working group on data strategy, deepen their cooperation on quantum technologies as part of the joint research project Q-Neko, and have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing collaboration regarding the transparency of content moderation decisions on online platforms. They also paved the way for a future agreement to strengthen cooperation on AI safety and video games.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s minister for internal affairs and communication, underscored the importance of protecting minors online and combating illegal content on the internet, areas in which both parties “share a common understanding”, while emphasising the need for “stricter age verification”. (Original version in French by Ana Pisonero Hernández)