EU-Japan EPA

Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi co-chaired on 25 March 2022 (videoconference) the third Joint Committee established under the EPA. 2022 marks three years since the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has been in force.

Japan is one of the EU's closest allies. This was reaffirmed during the 28th EU-Japan Summit held on the 12 May 2022 in Tokyo with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. During the summit, the EU and Japan took important steps to take their relations forward, from digital technologies, trade and investments, climate action, biodiversity protection, sustainable development as well as security.

On 4 May, BusinessEurope sent a letter to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sharing its priorities ahead of the EU-Japan Summit. The letter highlights the strong partnership between the EU and Japan with the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as the bedrock of the economic relationship.

At a meeting organised by the European Policy Centre on 26 April, BusinessEurope Senior Adviser Elena Suárez exchanged views on how the EU and Japan, as like-minded partners, can advance their own strategic agendas by reaffirming their strong commitment to the rules-based international order.

During a meeting on 31 March, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer and the Vice-Minister for International Affairs of Japan Hirose Naoshi talked about the strong trade and investment ties between the EU and Japan, which have been reinforced after the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement that entered into force 3 years ago.