EBC ニュースレター　2024年12月11日

On 3 December, the EBC participated in the 2024 French Japanese Business Summit, organised by CCI France Japon and the French Embassy. With a dedicated stand, the EBC engaged with French companies to raise awareness about its mission and activities. Team members also attended insightful conferences on innovation, bilateral cooperation, and strategies shaping a better future for France and Japan.
A valuable day of learning, networking, and strengthening ties within the French business community. Thank you CCI France Japon for the invitation!

Bjorn Kongstad, EBC Chief Policy Director and Yoko Obata, EBC Communications Manager

On 5 December, the EBC attended the online General Assembly of its member, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations in Japan (EFPIA). EFPIA stakeholders reviewed 2024 achievements and outlined strategies for 2025. Key highlights included updates from Chair Takahiko Iwaya and Director General Yoshiaki Aono, showcasing progress across committees and working groups, as well as specialized teams. A productive session setting the stage for continued impact in Japan’s healthcare ecosystem!

On 5 December the EBC HR Committee hosted a workshop on harassment and conflict resolution. The session covered different forms of harassment, relevant legislation and recent changes to the legal landscape. Participants explored strategies to prevent harassment through training and by making employees, including managers, aware of behaviour and language that could be considered inappropriate. Discussions highlighted the importance of understanding how certain words or actions might be perceived depending on the nature of the workplace relationship.

On 10 December, the French Chamber of Commerce in Japan hosted a Café Croissants session spotlighting the European Business Council in Japan. The event showcased the EBC’s mission to support European companies in overcoming non-tariff barrier issues in Japan through advocacy, collaboration with Japanese and EU authorities, and specialised committees’ actions. Stéfan Le Dû, Chair of the Sustainability Committee, presented his committee’s initiatives to disseminate best practices in the field. Jean-François Rébeillé, Energy Committee Chair, shared how his committee tackles energy-related challenges in Japan and unlocks opportunities for members. An interactive discussion followed, where practical examples brought the EBC’s efforts to life—showing how it works to address regulatory hurdles and unlock growth potential for European companies in Japan.

Stefan Le Du; Jean-Francois Rebeille

• Industrial Tour 2023 in Kyushu, organised by the International Investment Promotion Division of the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.
  This tour aims to attract foreign companies to the Kyushu region and promote collaboration and cooperation between foreign companies and local businesses. It will introduce the investment environment in Kyushu and include site visits to Kyushu companies. The focus will be on food-related companies, one of Kyushu’s major industries, in Miyazaki and Kagoshima in southern Kyushu, and the tour will include visits to companies that are advancing environmentally friendly initiatives.
  For further information:
  Leaflet (English)
  Official website (Japanese)
  ■Date and Time: 13 February 2025 (Thursday) 8:40 AM – approximately 5:50 PM
  ■Application: Please apply by 22 January 2025

• Regional Promotion Seminar
  On 20 January 2025 in Tokyo (Happo-En), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the local governments of Sakai City of Osaka Prefecture, Okinawa Prefecture, Nikko City of Tochigi Prefecture and Kamikatsu Town of Tokushima Prefecture will co-organize a Regional Promotion Seminar in English and Japanese. Representatives of these co-hosting local governments will make a presentation and introduce their policies, international activities, local foods and products, etc.
  Application form：Online registration by Thursday December 26.

Valerie  Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer

For more updates and information, please visit our website

• Japan’s ruling bloc and an opposition party agreed Friday to relax the rule on deductions for taxpayers with dependents who earn income, with details to be discussed at their meeting next week, lawmakers said. People with dependents aged 19 to 22 who have a job, such as a parent of a college student with a part-time job, are currently eligible for an income tax deduction if their dependents earn 1.03 million yen ($6,900) or less a year. (The Mainichi)
• The government aims to make My Number personal identification cards for all residents in Japan capable of being used for a wider range of purposes. A total of 94.49 million people had the ID card as of the end of October, or about 75.7% of the population. The government plans to make the cards, which are now also used as public health insurance certificates, usable for various other purposes such as a driver’s license, so that the cards will become increasingly convenient in people’s daily lives. (The Japan News)
• The Japanese government is planning to generate some 20 gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to the output of 20 nuclear reactors, through thin and bendable perovskite solar cells in fiscal 2040. The industry ministry plans to designate next-generation solar cells as the key to expanding renewables to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 when it reveals a draft of the country’s revised energy plan in December, according to industry ministry officials. (Kyodo News+)

If you are interested in joining a committee meeting, please contact the EBC to confirm the time and meeting place.