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Good Progress at Second Round of EU-Japan Trade Talks

EU News 320/2013

IP/13/645
Brussels, 3 July 2013

The EU and Japan today completed the second round of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) just two months after the first round in Brussels. Heading up the EU team which flew to Tokyo for the talks was Mauro Petriccione, Director in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Trade. The Japanese side was led by Ambassador Jun Yokota, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The second round had started on 24 June.

The aim is for a comprehensive agreement on goods, services and investment, eliminating tariffs, non-tariff barriers and covering other trade-related issues, such as public procurement, regulatory issues, competition, and sustainable development. The second round of negotiations focussed on the text of the agreement in all the areas that will make up the future FTA. The negotiating sessions were divided between fourteen various working groups covering topics ranging from trade in goods, services, investment, competition, government procurement, and trade and sustainable development.

An agreement between the two economic giants is expected to boost Europe’s economy by 0.6 to 0.8% of its GDP and will result in growth and the creation of 400.000 jobs. It is expected that EU exports to Japan could increase by 32.7%, while Japanese exports to the EU would increase by 23.5%.

The next round of negotiations will be in Brussels on 21-25 October 2013 with a further round envisaged early next year.

Source and additional information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-645_en.htm?locale=en

File Photo: Mauro Petriccione Date: 15/04/2013 Reference: P-023065/00-15 Location: Brussels - Square - Brussels Meeting Centre (C)EU, 2013 URL