Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement Will Create Major New Trade and Investment Opportunities

Brussels (ots/PRNewswire) -

With a highly favourable business climate, global-leading
innovation and one of the largest economic agreements in the world to
be signed shortly, Japan is in a better position to attract business
investment than ever before.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/718405/Yoshiro_Taguchi_an
d_business_leaders.jpg )

(Photo:
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/718406/Japan_EU_Panelists.jpg )

(Photo:
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)

This was the message a group of more than 120 industry experts,
researchers, policy makers and corporate leaders heard at a packed
seminar in downtown Brussels' Stanhope Hotel today. While Japan and
the EU prepare for the historic signing of the Japan-European Union
(EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on July 17th, the
Government of Japan hosted an engaging session that highlighted how
the EPA will not only increase and modernize free, fair and open
trade, but will also open up tremendous business opportunities
between Japan and the EU.

The event, "The Japan-EU EPA: Expanding our Rules-Based, Free
Trading Sphere to Create Economic Opportunities for Businesses,"
featured keynote addresses from H.E. Ambassador Kazuo Kodama, who
highlighted how the EPA is the new model for comprehensive, modern,
forward-looking economic agreements in the 21st century economic
order, as well as Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, a Senior Fellow in the
Department of International Relations at the London School of
Economics. Lee-Makiyama, who was lead author of the European
Commission's impact assessment study on the Japan-EU Economic
Partnership Agreement, shared his analysis on the implications of the
EPA on the trade and investment environment and highlighted key
findings from his new LSE research paper.

The panel discussion, moderated by Iana Dreyer, Editor of
Borderlex, featured Mitsumaru Kumagai, Executive Managing Director,
Chief Economist and Deputy Head of Research at Daiwa Institute of
Research, Ltd., Danny Risberg, Former Chairman of Phillips Japan and
Chairman of the European Business Council in Japan, and Pascal
Kerneis, Managing Director of European Services Forum. Panellists
discussed how Japan is well positioned for even higher growth and
economic returns moving forward due to the Abenomics policy,
promoting free, fair and open trade through agreements like the EPA,
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP 11) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), as
well as creating markets for rapidly expanding health, life sciences
and ICT sectors, and instituting ongoing growth-oriented regulatory
reform.

The Japan-EU EPA will bring the two economies closer by easing
market access for goods, services and investment, including a 100%
removal of tariffs around industrial goods. It will also set
transparent, stable, and predictable rules and advanced standards
around intellectual property rights (IPR), labour and environmental
regulations, opening up major trade and investment opportunities for
Japan and the EU to increase collaboration and grow together in
today's global economy.

The event, "The Japan-EU EPA: Expanding our Rules-Based, Free
Trading Sphere to Create Economic Opportunities for Businesses," was
co-hosted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and
supported by the Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE).

"Companies and investors from both sides should seize this unique
opportunity and enhance their collaboration; we are confident that
this economic partnership will be a benefit to everyone and to a
great extent, by creating an optimized trade and investment
environment between Japan and the European Union." - H.E. Ambassador
Kazuo Kodama.

"Japan and the European Union are opening a critical new stage of
partnership, and the EPA should be a milestone in their relationship.
One should not forget that still now, European companies are
underinvesting in Japan, compared with their US peers." - M. Hosuk
Lee-Makiyama, Senior Fellow in the Department of International
Relations at the London School of Economics.

Please click here (http://www.japan.go.jp/investment/) to learn
more about the Government of Japan.

ots Originaltext: The Government of Japan
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Yoshiro Taguchi
Counsellor
Office of Global Communications
Prime Minister's Office
yoshiro.tagichi.z9z@kantei.go.jp
+81-3-3581-0101

Original-Content von: The Government of Japan, übermittelt durch news aktuell