01 February 2019 - to mark the entry into force of the EPA and linked SPA agreement, the EU-Japan Business Round Table (BRT) issued a statement, entitled "A New Era for the EU and Japan Starts Today" and which begins...

For the full statement and links to information and practical guides aimed at helping EU and Japanese companies take full advantage of the EPA please see the EPA page of the BRT website. The Statement is also available in Japanese and in a bilingual PDF.

The EU-Japan Business Round Table (BRT) was established in its current form in 1999 to foster communication between the Japanese and European industries. Its Members are senior executives from 50 leading European and Japanese companies and business federations, including two European SMEs. The BRT's main objectives are to discuss issues of common interest and to submit recommendations to the Japanese and European Authorities so as to help develop trade and investment between the EU and Japan, and to encourage industrial cooperation in fields of common interest such as innovation, climate change, or industrial standards. The work of the BRT is supported by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation which acts as the BRT Secretariat.