On 16 July 2024, the fifth meeting of the Joint Committee established under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) heard that bilateral trade and investment relations continue to expand and deepen. The meeting, co-chaired by European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis (the EU commissioner for trade), and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa, reiterated the increasing strategic importance of the EPA, particularly at a time when challenges to rules-based trade are increasing globally. 

The EU and Japan acknowledged progress achieved in implementing the EPA since the last Joint Committee meeting, including the entry into force of new provisions on the free flow of data, and the addition of 48 new Geographical Indications (GIs) to the agreement, which now covers a total of 423 GIs. Both sides discussed further market access improvement, and EVP Dombrovskis praised growing cooperation on offshore wind power, an area where EU businesses can meaningfully contribute to Japan’s achievement of its climate goals. 
The EU and Japan also exchanged views on economic security issues; they recalled the close cooperation established under the EU-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue and the Working Group on transparent, resilient and sustainable supply chains, and reiterated the importance of the G7 and WTO in strengthening the international rules-based order and ensuring a global level-playing field. Both sides welcomed the progress achieved on the WTO E-commerce Joint Statement Initiative. 

Source: European Commission