The European Union and Japan
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BUILDING A NEW ERA OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND JAPAN WHO WE ARE THE EUROPEAN UNION AND JAPAN Created in 1999, the Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE) is a leading European organisation representing the interests of almost EU 28 EXPORTS TO JAPAN PER SECTOR (IN %), 2015 80 multinational companies of Japanese parentage active in Europe. EU-JAPAN TRADE 3.2 2.4 2.4 Our members operate across a wide range of sectors, including information RELATIONS, 2015 6.2 and communication technology, electronics, chemicals, automotive, EU 28 EXPORTS 7.3 36.3 machinery, wholesale trade, precision instruments, pharmaceutical, railway, TO JAPAN: textiles and glass products. Together, our member companies represented in €56.6 BILLION (3.2% of total EU exports) 16 Building2013 global a newsales eraof € 1.4 of cooperation trillion. between the European Union (EU) and Japan is the core of our activities, which we perform under several EU 28 IMPORTS committees focusing on: Trade Policy, Environment, Corporate Social FROM JAPAN: 26,2 Responsibility (CSR), Standards and Conformity, Corporate Policy, and €59.8 BILLION Information Society. (3.5% of total EU imports) RD MACHINERY & FOOD AND LIVE ANIMALS EU = JAPan’s 3 TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT TRADE PARTNER CHEMICALS OTHERS & RELATED PRODUCTS MISCELLANEOUS BEVERAGES & TOBACCO MANUFACTURED OUR MISSION PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED GOODS CRUDE MATERIALS, CLASSIFIED CHIEFLY BY INEDIBLE, EXCEPT FUELS We seek to: MATERIAL > Build a bridge between the EU and Japan, and enhance Europe’s JAPAN-EU TRADE understanding of Japanese companies and their contribution to the RELATIONS, 2015 European economy EU 28 IMPORTS FROM JAPAN 440,000 PER SECTOR (IN %), 2015 3.3 > Contribute to the EU public policy by sharing our members’ expertise More than 440,000 employees of 7.8 with decision-makers across sectors Japanese overseas affiliates in the EU (2014) 10.6 > Promote a favourable and predictable environment in which European 66.2 and Japanese companies of all sectors can compete for sustainable growth in Europe €242.5 BILLION 12.1 Japan is a major investor in the EU: in 2015 the EU inward FDI stock had reached a value of € 242.5 billion. JAPAN = EU’s 7TH OUR PRIORITIES TRADE PARTNER 1. We promote open trade and investment ............................p.4 2. We encourage a common regulatory framework ............p.5 POPULATION, 6,9% SHARE 23.9% 2015 (MILLIONS) 1,7% OF WORLD 3. We foster responsible business conduct ..........................p.6 GDP, 2014 WORLD 7,347 6% Sources: Bank of Japan, European EU 510 Commission, Eurostat, IMF, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, JAPAN 127 EU + JAPAN: 29.9% Nationsonline.org, World Bank 2 Japan business council in europe building a new era of cooperation between the european union & Japan 3 WE PROMOTE OPEN TRADE WE ENCOURAGE A COMMON AND INVESTMENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK We promote open markets for trade and investment Businesses, wherever they are based, need a clear legal and regulatory framework to effectively operate and the creation of a favourable environment for investment between the EU and Japan at the top of our and grow. Instead of a fragmented situation, they need international standards to be able to agenda. We place the free flow of goods and services, We support the deepening of EU-Japan trade relations through an ambitious Free Trade Agreement / Mutualcompete engagement on a level playing from fieldthe EUand and to contribute Japan for tobetter economic regulatory growth. cooperation is crucial to foster Economic Partnership Agreement (FTA / EPA) and fair market access that will contribute substantially sustainable competitiveness and innovation in both economies. to industrial growth and job creation. Our member companies have a long history of pursuing sustainability and are strongly committed Beyond bilateral agreements, we foster cooperation between the EU and Japan to realise global to environmental legislation. This is why we stand for increased international cooperation and multilateral agreements in order to bring economic advantages to all parties. harmonisation of environmental regulations and standards in key policy areas such as resource Securing the optimisation of returns on investment of our commitment. Toefficiency prevent and the chemical emergence substance of unnecessary management. obstacles and to foster business and innovation between the to the benefit of both economies is another key area EU and Japan, we encourage the future-oriented development of common regulatory frameworks in We support the timely development of business and strive to remove the administrative hurdles that a number of policy areas such as circular economy and digital agenda. our member companies face when integrating their European activities. EXPECTED OUTCOME OF EU-JAPAN FTA / EPA 32.7% 0.6% 0.8% EU exports to Japan to > Harmonize existing regulations Boost Europe’s economy by 0.6 to 0.8 % of its GDP increase by 32.7% > Develop new regulations in Japanese exports to the ˜ EU to increase by 23.5% common frameworks 400,000 JOBS Growth and creation of more 23.5% than 400,000 jobs in Europe Source: European Commission RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EU AND JAPAN REGULATORY FRAMEWORK REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IN THE EU IN JAPAN > A comprehensive FTA/EPA between the EU and Japan has vast potential to promote innovation and competition, generate economic growth, and benefit consumers. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EU AND JAPAN > JBCE supports the deepening of EU-Japan trade relations through an ambitious FTA/EPA and fair market access that will contribute substantially to industrial growth and job creation. > Increase mutual understanding of existing and upcoming regulations on each side and their impact on > JBCE strongly request the authorities of the EU and Japan to make utmost efforts and reach its successful domestic and foreign business to prevent regulatory divergence and new trade barriers. conclusion at the earliest possible time in the year 2016. > Develop a joint strategy to promote better regulatory cooperation. > The upcoming FTA/EPA should be a living agreement and should provide a solid framework for regulatory cooperation to address the concerns of the business community. > Have close dialogue with businesses throughout the process of regulation development. Japan business council in europe building a new era of cooperation between the european union & Japan 5 4 WE FOSTER RESPONSIBLE OUR STRUCTURE (as of 1st November 2016) President BUSINESS CONDUCT Yasunori Yamamoto, President of Shimadzu Europa GmbH The strength of the European economy is built on a set of values that will lead to a sustainable economic Vice-Chairs system. Lars Brückner, NEC Arnaud Brunet, Sony Aspired to these values, our member companies embrace corporate social responsibility as a pivotal contributor to the EU’s objectives of sustainable development and highly competitive social market Board of Directors Akihiro Ichimura, Mitsui Chemical Yuji Kawase, Mitsui & Co. Hiroshi Kojima, Canon economy. Koshi Noguchi, Toshiba Marcus Rieker, Horiba Satoru Shimizu, Panasonic Norihiro Suzaki, Hitachi Koji Takagi, Bridgestone Tetsuro Uruno, Fujitsu We believe that fostering responsible business should be at the heart of the EU-Japan economic and political partnership. Secretary General Kitayoshi Tsumita Business responsibility and integrity should go beyond administrative functions, enhanced disclosure companies’ mission, organisation and governance. and improved reporting. It should be firmly embedded in Committees Working Groups (WG) CSR APPROACH and Issue Groups (IG) Planning RoHS Recast IG Kinko Tsuji, Shimadzu Danny Van Roijen, Pioneer JBCE approaches Position of responsible business to responsible conduct in JBCE priorities Category 8&9 IG Trade Policy Kinko Tsuji, Shimadzu business conduct Sandra Alverà, Panasonic Promoting an open trade and Encouraging a common WEEE Recast IG investment agenda regulatory framework Environment Mihai Scumpieru, Mitsubishi Electric Lars Brückner, NEC Mihai Scumpieru, Mitsubishi Electric REACH WG Dialogue with policy makers Regina Döller, Mitsui Chemicals Lars Brückner, NEC and other stakeholders FOSTERING RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT > Nanomaterial IG Hideo Kawasaki, Adeka CSR Best practice sharing Focus areas Yukako Kinoshita, Hitachi Air-conditioner WG Rodney Ayre, Mitsubishi Electric Tetsuji Fujino, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Reporting and Business and Supply chain Standards & Conformity Bridging European and Diversity Japanese CSR arena disclosure human rights management Kayo Shibata, Canon Kinko Tsuji, Shimadzu Resource Efficiency IG Regina Döller, Mitsui Chemicals João T. Marinho, Hitachi RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EU AND JAPAN Corporate Policy William Mccafferty, Nikon Koshi Noguchi, Toshiba Shigeto Minami, Sumitomo Chemical BPR IG Takahiro Oki, Daikin > Introduce a flexible and principle-based policy framework for CSR that will strengthen long term competitiveness and meet the expectations of stakeholders in various communities. Information Society Eco-design and Energy-label IG > Create incentives for leading companies that proactively assume their corporate and societal Marco Canton, Fujitsu Takahiro Oki, Daikin responsibilities. 6 Japan business council in europe building a new era of cooperation between the european union & Japan 7 OUR MEMBERS (as of 1st November 2016) A&T Corporation JT International Holding B.V. Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd., Belgian Branch ADEKA CORPORATION JVC KENWOOD Corporation NITTO DENKO CORPORATION AGC Europe, Ltd. KAWASAKI MOTORS EUROPE