EU-Japan EPA

On the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Economic Partnership Agreement, the EU Delegation to Japan is launching a Business Survey targeting European business stakeholders.

In the framework of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, both parties will protect an additional 42 geographical indications (GIs), such as Raclette de Savoie, Vinagre de Jerez for the EU and sanuki shiro miso (miso paste), or Osaka wine for Japan.

A survey among 950 procurement offices of Japanese government organizations has shown that since the enactment of the EPA, participation of EU enterprises in government tenders is still uncommon.

The free trade agreement between the EU and Japan allows products made in the EU to benefit from preferential tariffs. But how do you assess if a product is of EU origin? What are the most important “Rules of Origins” common to many free trade agreements, and how do they work?

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.