Brussels, 01/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, the EU-Japan Summit in Berlin on 5 June will devote some of the time it will spend on international issues to the unavoidable topics, which have already featured on the agendas of recent high level meetings (EU-US Summit, EU-Canada Summit, EU-ASEM, EU-China, EU-Japan and EU-India ministerial meetings), of climate policy and energy security. In terms of economic relations, German Chancellor and current Council President Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will adopt a document devoted to the identification of areas where bilateral cooperation on research and innovation should be enhanced and a joint action plan on intellectual property rights.
International issues and global challenges. Security in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan-China relations, six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear programme, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iraq and the Iranian nuclear programme are all issues which will, of course, be discussed by European and Japanese leaders and will appear in their final declaration. This declaration will mention, in particular, EU satisfaction at the improvement in relations between Tokyo and Beijing, while Japan will note its opposition to the lifting of the European embargo on arms sales to China. Both sides will note their shared view that there has to be a civilian element in foreign efforts for the reconstruction and stabilisation of Afghanistan.
Following the EU-Japan ministerial meeting in Hamburg on 29 May, both sides are also expected to confirm their wish to cooperate more closely in efforts to stabilise Central Asia, by conducting joint programmes to improve border management water management, health systems, education and training systems, human rights and the rule of law in the countries of the region. The need for increased bilateral cooperation to reduce poverty, promote sustainable development and help achieve the Millennium Development goals will also be noted by both sides, which will, of course, confirm their commitment to a balanced agreement concluding the Doha Round.
Both sides, however, will devote a lot of space in their joint declaration to climate policy and energy security. At the time of going to press, they were proposing two different forms of words on this issue in their draft joint text.
Similar to the conclusions of the March European Council, the EU wants to emphasise that it shares with Japan the view that “negotiations on a comprehensive post 2012 framework, building upon and broadening the Kyoto Protocol architecture and providing a fair and flexible framework for the widest possible participation, need to be launched at the UN international climate conference at the end of 2007 (in Bali), and be completed by 2009”, and on the need to adopt binding quantitative targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions (30% by 2020 and by 60% to 80% by 2050 compared with 1990, with the developed countries taking the lead).
The Japanese are more cautious, seeking to highlight the view shared with the EU on the need to reduce the world's total emission of greenhouse gases “through creating low-carbon societies”. Tokyo believes that the two sides share the view that discussions for an international post-Kyoto framework agreement “with the maximum reduction efforts by all major emitting countries consistent with their economic growth should be accelerated in order to ensure seamless transition and to maximise emission control on a global basis”. The Japanese would also like to include references to the transfer of the technology to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and adopt appropriate adaptation measures.
Bilateral relations. The Berlin Summit will bring nothing new in economic terms apart from the adoption by both sides of a document, annexed to their joint declaration, on promoting research and innovation and seeking to identify those areas where cooperation should be enhanced. The joint document mentions especially, but in no particular order, exchanges of researchers and “brain circulation”, the ITER project, support for and cooperation with private sector initiatives, pursuit of close regulatory cooperation, a series of sectoral initiatives (life sciences and biotechnology, ICT and energy technology) and the protection of intellectual property rights.
This latter point was the subject of particular attention because European and Japanese leaders are expected to adopt a joint action plan on the protection of and respect for intellectual property rights, which will update and strengthen the joint initiative already in place. The action plan is based on the creation and implementation of several joint initiatives (creating bilateral information networks on the protection of intellectual property rights in third countries, support for SMEs, increasing customs cooperation, discussions on infringement procedures against counterfeiting and increasing awareness in third countries, cooperation on geographical indications and technical assistance to third countries) and joint initiatives to strengthen the multilateral framework against piracy and counterfeiting. (eh)