21st EU-Japan ICT dialogue, strengthening cooperation

EU News 80/2015

24 March 2015

The 21^st EU-Japan ICT dialogue took place in Tokyo today. This meeting is part of a regular ICT policy and research dialogue between the European Union (EU) and Japan that aims to strengthen cooperation in this field.

The European Commission delegation was led by Zoran Stancic, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology (DG CNECT), while the Japanese delegation was headed by Vice-Minister Yasuo Sakamoto from the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications (MIC). Officials from DG CNECT and MIC also attended this meeting.

Participants discussed the following topics:

- ICT Policy:  Participants exchanged views on recent and upcoming policy activities in the EU and Japan. They also reported on the output of the 23rd March workshop on ICT strategies.

- Internet Governance: Participants discussed issues of global policy coordination on Internet governance for international discussion such as the World Summit on the Information Society.

- Regulatory framework: Participants exchanged views on recent and upcoming policy activities in the EU and Japan. They also reported on the output of the 23^rd March workshop on ICT strategies.

- Safer Internet environment for children: Participants recognized the importance of promoting a safer Internet environment for children and agreed to continue cooperation in other fora beyond the EU-Japan ICT Dialogue like the Safer Internet Day or the network of hotlines.

- Cooperation on research and development in the area of ICT:  Participants shared the updates of their policies on ICT R&D. They reviewed the 2 running EU-Japan Coordinated Calls that cover sectors like optical & wireless communications, big data, cloud computing and discussed preparation of the third Coordinated Call.

- Response to active and healthy ageing society: Participants both acknowledged the importance of making the most of ICT for achieving an active and healthy ageing society, and discussed the preparation of the coordinated call.

- User information and privacy policy on ICT services: Participants discussed the cooperation on cyber security and concurred that they will continuously share information and exchange best practices.

- 5G: Participants welcome the signature on 25^th March 2015 in Frankfurt of the 5G Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Japanese industry. They also discussed the signature of the EU-Japan 5G Joint Declaration that should take place as soon as possible.

Building on this meeting, EU-Japan links will be further strengthened with the forthcoming signature of the 5G Joint Declaration, the preparation of the EU-Japan Business Round Table that will take place on 28th April in Brussels and the EU-Japan Summit.

 

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