EU-Japan relations

Special Lecture by H.E. Mr Haitze Siemers, Chargé d'Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan on “EU-Japan Relations".

Japanese government developed “Japan Bioeconomy Strategy” to achieve the world’s most advanced bioeconomy society in Japan by 2030. The strategy especially promotes industry linkage, biomaterial, sustainable primary production, and health care.

On 13 April 2022, senior officials from the EU and Japan convened via videoconference for an informal meeting of the EU-Japan Joint Committee - which coordinates the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Agreement. They reviewed the state of implementation of the Agreement and identified the next steps for further strengthening relations, in view of the bilateral summit meeting in Tokyo later this year.

Leaders at the EU-Japan Summit taking place in Tokyo agreed to start exploratory talks on Japan’s possible association to the EU's key research & innovation funding programme Horizon Europe. Association is the closest form of international cooperation on research and innovation with third countries, and it could pave the way for an intensified cooperation in research and innovation between the EU and Japan.

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.