EBC ニュースレター　2026年7月22日

On 14 July, the EBC had the honour of attending the reception hosted by H.E. Béatrice Le Fraper du Hellen, Ambassador of France to Japan, to celebrate France’s National Day.

The event brought together representatives from government, diplomacy, academia and the business community, demonstrating the depth and diversity of the France-Japan relationship. Among the distinguished guests were Ms. Satsuki Katayama, Minister of State for Financial Services, Mr. Minoru Kiuchi, Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, and H.E. Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the European Union to Japan.

Following the Japanese, French and European anthems, speakers highlighted the close cooperation between France and Japan in areas including trade, investment, innovation, education and research. Particular attention was also given to academic exchanges and to the Japanese students choosing to pursue higher education in France. A memorable moment of the evening was Minister Katayama’s speech, delivered in French, underlining the importance of the France-Japan economic partnership and reaffirming the value of continued bilateral cooperation.

The reception also provided an excellent opportunity to exchange views with members of the French business community in Japan, representatives of Japanese ministries and institutions, and members of the Embassy of France team.

The EBC extends its sincere thanks to the Embassy of France for its warm hospitality.

The European Commission has released its Annual Report on European SMEs 2025/2026, offering a comprehensive overview of the performance and outlook of Europe’s 34 million small and medium-sized enterprises.

The report shows that European SMEs continued their recovery in 2025, with the number of enterprises increasing by 1.8%; real value added growing by 2.5%; and employment rising by 1.0%. The report also highlights the importance of strengthening SME competitiveness through greater adoption of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, where SMEs continue to lag behind larger companies. It further examines how technological transformation is reshaping SME value chains, particularly in the automotive sector.

The report provides valuable insights for businesses and policymakers interested in Europe’s evolving industrial landscape.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will organise a free webinar on 23 July (17:00–18:30 JST) under the EU-Japan IPA Project, focusing on common pitfalls when filing trade mark and design applications in the European Union.

EUIPO experts will explain the most frequent objections raised during examinations, including issues relating to classification, descriptive marks and conflicts with earlier rights, and will share practical recommendations to improve the likelihood of successful registration.

The webinar will be of particular interest to European and Japanese companies seeking to strengthen the protection of their intellectual property in the EU market.
Participation is free of charge. Registration is available through the EU-Japan IPA Project website: Webinar – Avoiding TM and DS Objections at the EUIPO