Ordinary meetings

The delegation meeting took place on Monday 20 June from 16hr-17hr in Brussels. Following the departure of the previous First Vice Chair Eric Andrieu, MEP Dan Nica (RO, S&D) was elected by acclamation as the new First Vice Chair of the Delegation for relations with Japan. An open discussion took place between Mr Bruno Gautrais, Head of Unit DG SANTE, the Japanese Mission and Japan Delegation Members on remaining EU's import restrictions to food stuffs from Japan following the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011. The matter was described by the Japanese Ambassador as "the single most thorny issue in the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership". Ambassador MASAKI Yasushi, Mission of Japan to the EU, stressed that the import measures on Japanese products should be resolved by scientific data and findings and that Japan is requesting the EU to eliminate the restrictive measures as soon as possible. A further discussion covered the 40th EU-Japan IPM to be held in Tokyo later in the year.

MEPs led by Chair Christel Schaldemose, met via the internet with Mr Hajime FUNADA, President of Japan-EU Interparliamentary League of Friendship of the National Diet of Japan and several Diet members. The meeting, a follow up to an exchange of views with Ambassador Yasushi MASAKI, also a letter on Ukraine sent from EP Chair to Mr Funada, and a Joint Statement by them on 20 April. Chair Schaldemose reported on the EPs position and the resolution on the Russia's aggression against Ukraine and recognised the course of action that Japan had taken to condemn and sanction Russia. Mr Funada said dialogue and cooperation with the EP is essential. He stressed that it is important for more Asian countries to join the sanctions and said that Japan is working towards that. Vice President and MEP, Pedro Silva Pereira stressed that it is Russia to blame with no justification for the aggression. It is an international duty to cooperate. The right message of the right time is that we stay united.

The Joint meeting was held with all three Delegation Chairs and with Members from the Japan and India delegations. H.E. Ambassador Caroline Millar, Mission of Australia to the EU, H.E. Ambassador Santosh Jha, Mission of India to the EU and H.E. Ambassador Yasushi Masaki, Mission of Japan to the EU addressed the delegations on "The EU Indo-Pacific Strategy and the security implications of QUAD" engaging equally in outlining their main security concerns, while David McAllister, AFET Chair and SEDE rapporteur presented the main features of the SEDE report and of the security implications of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. The Delegation Chairs and Ambassadors look forward to the adoption by SEDE and then by Plenary of the McAllister report.

A Joint meeting with members from the Delegations for Relations with Australia and New Zealand (DANZ) & India (D-IN) on Monday 14 March, 2022 from 18h45-20.00hrs in room ASP 3G3. On the agenda, "The EU Indo-Pacific Strategy and the security implications of QUAD". The Chair is delighted to receive H.E. Ambassador Yasushi Masaki, Mission of Japan to the EU, H.E. Ambassador Caroline Millar, Mission of Australia to the EU, and H.E. Ambassador Santosh Jha, Mission of India to the EU, for an exchange of views. Mr David McAllister, Chair of the AFET committee and also SEDE rapporteur on "The EU and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific" will brief the delegation on the latest developments. Interpretation in EN, FR DE IT and PL are available.

The meeting of the delegation took place on Thursday 18 November. Minister Akihiro Ōkōchi from the Japanese Mission highlighted major achievements and benefits of the first years of the implementation of EU-Japan EPA. In the run up to the WTO Ministerial Conference MC12, Minister Ōkōchi and colleagues from DG TRADE all agreed this conference would formally launch the discussions on a WTO reform. Ms Elena Suárez, Advisor on WTO and Japan, BusinessEurope, expressed her support to many of the objectives mentioned and stressed that it is a strong supporter of WTO and cooperates with its counterpart in Japan.

On Thursday 10 June, the Bureau led by Ms Christel Schaldemose, Chair of the Delegation, co-chaired an informal online meeting with Members of Japan's National Diet led by MP Mr Nobuteru Ishihara. Three main points were discussed; "Response to the Covid-19 crisis", "Actions on Climate Change " and "Topical Debates, Updates (ILO Convention, Tokyo Olympics, etc)".See the attached briefing below

The Bureau was elected by acclamation. Chair, Ms Schaldemose, S&D, Denmark, 1st Vice Chair, Mr Eric Andrieu, S&D, France and 2nd Vice Chair Ms Eva Maydell, EPP member from Bulgaria. Ambassador Masaki highlighted events from the past months: Indo Pacific strategies, EU-Asia connectivity, EPA Joint Committees second anniversary. On Japan's carbon-neutrality 2050 target Ambassador Masaki said that Japan will announce it in the COP26 in Glasgow. On EU-Japan green business opportunities the Ambassador listed wind power, hydrogen and electric battery applications. He concluded by wishing that the next EU-Japan Summit will strengthen cooperation on green policies. DG Petriccione focused on priority areas: carbon removal & certification systems, climate strategy on forests. Investments in infrastructure for eg: Steel production with hydrogen. Agreeing with the Ambassador he stressed hydrogen, and renewable energies as some of the most important areas of cooperation with Japan.

The meeting took place on Monday 30th November. H.E MASAKI, Mission of Japan to the EU listed the many positive impacts the EPA has already had in the first 1,5 years of implementation on the bilateral trade despite the COVID environment. Besides the implementation of the two agreements and the EU-Japan Partnership on Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure, he considered other main priorities of climate change, digital transformation, security and cooperation on public health. He stressed that we share the values of democracy, rule of law and promote free trade. Vice President Ewa Kopacz, EP Coordinator on children's rights spoke on Parental child abductions in Japan from mixed European-Japanese families in Japan. The VP reminded that the UN Convention states that parties should support the children's rights and their best interest. The child has the right not to miss the cultural and linguistic richness of both parents. The next meeting will be held in 2021.

The delegation meeting took place in Strasbourg on Wednesday 15 January from 16.00-17.45, in room LOW S4.5A. A debriefing by Mr Tonnie De Koster, Adviser for Digital Single Market International Outreach, European Commission, was given following the 9th EU-Japan Digital Strategies Workshop which was held in Tokyo on 11 December 2019.