Annual Meeting 2023
25th EU-Japan Business Round Table Annual Meeting - 7 November 2023 - "THE EU & JAPAN – PARTNERING ON ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH"
On this webpage - Submission of the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to PM Kishida | Submission of the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to the METI and MOFA Ministers and MIC State Minister | The BRT's 2023 annual meeting | Submission of the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to VP Jourová | Keynote Address & Handover | Joint Session with the EU & Japanese Authorities | Announcement of the next BRT Chair, EU-side | The BRT's 2023 Recommendations | Cuttings, articles and social media posts about the meeing | Other documents from the meeting
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Submission of the BRT’s 2023 Recommendations to PM Kishida
Tokyo - 16 February 2024 - Nobuhiro Endo (Japan-side BRT Chair and Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation) and Belén Garijo (EU-side BRT Chair and Chair of the Executive Board and CEO, Merck) who was represented by Christopher Thomas (Representative Director, President of Merck Ltd., Japan) submitted the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Dr. Endo and Mr Thomas formally delivered the BRT’s 2023 Recommendations adopted at the BRT's 2023 Annual Meeting to the Government of Japan during a Courtesy Call on PM Kishida.
During the meeting, Dr. Endo explained that the BRT’s 2023 Annual Meeting focused on the theme of cooperation in economic security, held an exchange of views on "sustainable growth," recognised that the green and digital transformation remain an important theme, and reported that standardisation and deregulation were important pillars of the discussion. Mr Thomas noted that in this era of swift change, there is a growing emphasis on fostering economic partnerships and investments with nations that share common values and political systems.
Responding, PM Kishida stated that the recommendations of the BRT would contribute to the strengthening of EU-Japan economic relations, and that he would like to cooperate closely with the public and private sectors to further the development of EU-Japan cooperation, taking into account the BRT’s recommendations
Satoshi Katahira (Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau, MOFA), Takehiko Matsuo (Director General, Trade Policy Bureau, METI), Yasuo Tawara (Director General, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC), Haitze Siemers (Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan), the EU-Japan Centre’s Managing Directors and a representative of NEC Corporation were also present.
Information about the BRT's courtesy call to PM Kishida was posted on the official website of the Prime Minister's Office of Japan and the website of MOFA and MOFA's post on X. A report about the handover was included in the March 2024 edition of EU-Japan NEWS.
The BRT’s 2023 Recommendations were submitted to European Commission Vice President Jourová during the 2023 Annual Meeting.
For more information about the 2023 recommendations and the annual meeting, please visit the 25th EU-Japan Business Round Table Annual Meeting webpage.
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| Left to right: Nobuhiro Endo (Japan-side BRT Chair), Fumio Kishida (Prime Minister of Japan) and Christopher Thomas (Representative EU-side BRT co-Chair) |
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Submission of the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to the METI and MOFA Ministers and MIC State Minister
Tokyo – 23 January 2024 – Nobuhiro Endo (Japan-side BRT Chair and Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation) submitted the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to the METI and MOFA Ministers and MIC State Minister.
Dr. Endo paid courtesy calls on Ken Saito, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Koichi Watanabe, State Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, on 22 January and on Yoko Kamikawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 23 January, to hand over the recommendations adopted at the BRT's 2023 Annual Meeting.
BRT Working Party Leaders, Kuninori Kuroishi (Senior Advisor, Marubeni Corporation), Osamu Nagayama (Honorary Chairman, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and Shigehiro Tanaka (Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Chief of External Relations, NEC Corporation) were also present.
During the meeting, Dr. Endo noted that the BRT’s 2023 Annual Meeting had focused on the theme of cooperation in economic security and the exchange of views towards "sustainable growth," and reported on the activities of the BRT working parties. METI Minister Saito expressed the importance of trust between the EU and Japan in the current global situation and was encouraged by the BRT's efforts. Foreign Minister Kamikawa commented that the BRT's 25-year effort is a model for solving issues through multi-stakeholder diplomacy, especially by the private sector.
Information about the BRT's courtesy call to METI Minister Saito has been posted on the METI website, details of the courtesy call on Foreign Minister Kamikawa has been posted on the MOFA website, and details of the courtesy call on State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Watanabe has been posted on the MIC website.
The BRT’s 2023 Recommendations will also be submitted to PM Kishida later having been submitted to European Commission Vice President Jourová during the 2023 Annual Meeting.
For more information about the 2023 recommendations and the annual meeting, please visit the 25th EU-Japan Business Round Table Annual Meeting webpage.
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| Left: Nobuhiro Endo (Japan-side BRT Chair and Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation) Right: METI Minister Saito |
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| Left：Nobuhiro Endo (Japan-side BRT Chair and Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation) Right: Foreign Minister Kamikawa |
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| Left to right: Yasuo Tanabe (Managing Director, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation) Shigehiro Tanaka (Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Chief of External Relations, NEC Corporation) State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Watanabe Nobuhiro Endo (BRT co-Chair and Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation ) Kuninori Kuroishi (Senior Advisor, Marubeni Corporation) Ryojun Take (Representative of Osamu Nagayama, Honorary Chairman, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) |
2023 BRT Annual Meeting at the European Commission
Brussels, 7 November 2023 - the 25th annual meeting of the EU-Japan Business Round Table took place in the Schuman Room at the European Commission's Berlaymont headquarters. It was co-chaired by Philippe Wahl (Chairman and CEO, La Poste Groupe) and Nobuhiro Endo (Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation).
Meeting documents, more photos and other information can be found on the 2023 annual meeting webpage and social media posts, articles and other items can be found on the 2023 annual meeting cuttings page.
During the meeting it was announced that Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck would succeed Philippe Wahl as BRT Chair, EU-side. Ms Garijo was unable to attend the meeting in-person but recorded a message accepting the nomination.
Submission of the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to EC VP Jourová
7 November 2023 – During the 2023 BRT annual meeting, Nikolaus Boltze (for Philippe Wahl, BRT co-Chair) and Nobuhiro Endo (BRT co-Chair and Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation) officially submitted the BRT's 2023 Recommendations to Vice-President Věra Jourová who received them on behalf of the European Commission.
Statement by the BRT co-Chairs on the outcome of the 2023 EU-Japan Summit
4 August 2023 – Philippe Wahl (Chairman and CEO, Le Groupe La Poste) & Nobuhiro Endo (Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation) – co-Chairs of the EU-Japan Business Round Table - issue a statement on the outcome of the 29th EU-Japan Summit.
07/11/2023 - The 25th Annual Meeting of the EU-Japan Business Round Table took place in the Schuman Room at the European Commission's Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels.
The meeting was co-chaired (for the final time) by Philippe Wahl (Chairman & CEO, La Poste Groupe) and (for the first time) by Nobuhiro Endo (Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation). Nikolaus Boltze (Country Representative - Japan, Thyssenkrupp AG) and Jean-Paul Forceville (Director, European & International Relations, La Poste Groupe) moderated some sessions of the meeting. During the meeting, Mr Wahl announced that his successor as BRT EU-side Chair would be Belén Garijo (Chair of the Executive Board and CEO, Merck).
Links to articles, posts, social media references and other resources can be found on the 2023 annnual meeting cuttings & tweets webpage.
Keynote Address & Handover
After an opening session, featuring interventions by the BRT co-Chairs Philippe Wahl (Chairman and CEO, La Poste Groupe) and Nobuhiro Endo (Executive Advisor, NEC Corporation), European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová gave the keynote address. Nikolaus Boltze (thyssenkrupp AG) moderated the keynote address session.
After her speech, Mr Boltze and Dr. Endo formally presented the BRT's 2023 recommendations to VP Jourová who received them on behalf of the European Commission
Her speech and the "handover" were reported in a photo montage on the European Commission website entitled, "Participation of Vera Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission, to the EU-Japan Business Round Table"
Joint Session with the Authorities
Kiyoto Tsuji, State Minister for Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Nobuhiro Yoshida, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI), Hiroshi Yoshida, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination (MIC) and Kerstin Jorna, Director-General (DG GROW) took part in a Joint Session with the EU and Japanese Authorities, outlining recent developments in EU-Japan government-to-government discussions and areas for possible EU-Japan industrial cooperation.
Announcement of the next BRT Chair, EU-side
The 2023 BRT annual meeting was the 4th and final one to be co-chaired by Philippe Wahl. During his opening remarks he announced that his successor as BRT EU-side Chair would be Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck. Ms Garijo was unable to attend the meeting in-person but recorded a message accepting the nomination.
Video message from Belén Garijo (6'20")
In her personal video message, Belén Garijo addresses the participants of the 25th EU-Japan Business Round Table in Brussels on 7 November 2023. She shares how honoured she feels to take on the responsibility as the new EU-side Chair of the EU-Japan Business Round Table, thanks her predecessor Philippe Wahl for his strong leadership and highlights how much she looks forward to collaborating with Dr. Nobuhiro Endo, NEC Corporation and the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. As the CEO of Merck, a science and technology company with a long history of business in Japan, Belén Garijo underscores the importance of EU-Japan collaboration in times of growing uncertainty.
The BRT's 2023 Recommendations
The BRT adopted - and submitted - 5 sets of recommendations:
- The main "Joint Recommendations" communiqué, and reports by its four Working Parties on:
- Trade Relations; Investment & Regulatory Cooperation; Financial Services, Accounting & Taxation (WP1)
- Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Healthcare & Well-Being (WP2)
- Digital Innovation & Mobility (WP3)
- Environment & Sustainable Development (WP4)
Other documents from the 2023 annual meeting
- The agenda for the annual meeting (a Japanese version is also available)
- The list of BRT members as of 7 November 2023
- Presentation from the Economic Security & Supply Chains session
- Presentations from the Green Transition session
- Presentation from the Standards, Regulatory harmonisation, R&D and Skills session
