From the EBC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Dear Friends of the EBC,<\/p>\n
The EBC has had a number of interesting meetings over the past week, both in Brussels and Tokyo.<\/p>\n
On 8 November in Brussels<\/strong>, we met with Eva Valle Lagares, Head of Unit, Marco Chirullo, Deputy Head of Unit and Thorsten Behnke at EU Commission DG TRADE Far East<\/strong>. The purpose of these regular discussions is to keep each other updated on our respective issues and priorities to help European companies on the Japanese market.<\/p>\n
Michael Mroczek, President of the EBC Board, Marco Chirullo, Thorsten Behnke<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
We also had a chance to talk with Ambassador\u00a0Yasushi Yamamoto, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan to the European Union<\/strong> and to discuss with Kohei Nakamura, Minister, Mission of Japan to NATO and Chieko Tatsumi, First Secretary at the Mission of Japan to the European Union<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
Michael Mroczek, Ambassador Yamamoto, Val\u00e9rie Moschetti<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
On 9 November<\/strong>, we met DigitalEurope<\/strong>, the leading trade association representing digitally transforming industries in Europe. We had a productive meeting with Tsai-Wei Chao, Director for Digital Trade Policy & International Affairs and her team, Cristiana-Amira Cocis,\u00a0<\/strong>Jonas J\u00fctting and Jo\u00ebl Guschker, <\/strong>as well as Marco Canton, Senior EU Public Affairs Executive at Fujitsu<\/strong>, member of the organisation. We identified a number of areas where cooperation between the EBC and DigitalEurope would be beneficial in the coming months.<\/p>\n
Tsai-Wei Chao, Marco Canton, Val\u00e9rie Moschetti, Jonas J\u00fctting, Cristiana-Amira Cocis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
On the same day, Stefania Benaglia, Head of Foreign Policy Unit at CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies)<\/strong>, a leading think tank and forum for debate on EU affairs, received the EBC to exchange on the \u00a0EU and Japan defence & security policies and on connectivity. We will seek to develop interactions between our two organisations.<\/p>\n
Val\u00e9rie Moschetti, Stefania Benaglia, Michael Mroczek<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The EBC also met again with Gunilla F\u00e8vre-Burdy, Administrator, EU DAG secretariat, External Relations Unit at the European Economic and Social Committee<\/strong>. In July 2023, the EBC became a member of the<\/strong> EU-Japan Domestic Advisory Group<\/strong>\u00a0(DAG) for the 2023-2025 mandate. DAGs are\u00a0independent\u00a0civil society bodies set up by each party under EU ‘new generation’ free trade agreements. They monitor and advise on issues related to the implementation of the chapter on Trade and Sustainable Development. The EBC DAG representative<\/strong> is our sustainability Committee chair, St\u00e9fan Le D\u00fb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
On 9 November in Tokyo<\/strong>, the EBC Food & Agriculture Committee and the EBC Liquor Committee met with DG Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI)<\/strong>. The main topics discussed were quotas under the EPA, organic products and Geographic Indicators (GIs). The EBC reported that, while the situation has improved compared to when the quotas where introduced, there are still some inherent problems remaining. GIs are gaining ground in Japan, and work of the European Commission is appreciated.<\/p>\n
On <\/strong>13 <\/strong>November<\/strong>, EBC committee representatives<\/strong> engaged in a fruitful discussion at the European Delegation in Tokyo with\u00a0European Commission\u00a0Director General\u00a0Gerassimos Thomas\u00a0and EU Ambassador Jean-Eric Paquet<\/strong>.\u00a0St\u00e9fan Le D\u00fb<\/strong>\u00a0(sustainability committee \/\u00a0Asuene),\u00a0Nikolaus Boltze<\/strong>\u00a0(security and defense committee \/\u00a0thyssenkrup), and\u00a0Yannick Borghi<\/strong>\u00a0(materials committee \/\u00a0Alteo Aluminia) provided valuable insights into Japan’s progress and challenges in transitioning to a decarbonized economy. Director General Thomas briefed on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism<\/strong> (CBAM), effective from 1st<\/sup> October, impacting industries exporting carbon-intensive goods to the EU. Later that day, EBC members participated in a seminar organised by the\u00a0EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, facilitating a dialogue on the implications of CBAM for Japan.<\/p>\n
To conclude, I would like to recommend the following events:<\/p>\n
1\/ What challenges do European and Japanese companies face to build more\u00a0sustainable and responsible supply chains<\/strong>, and what solutions<\/strong> are they\u00a0implementing? If you are members of the EBC, JBCE (Japan Business Council in Europe), Japanese and European chambers and embassies (including EU member states), join us online on 21st\u00a0<\/strong>Novem<\/strong>ber<\/strong> to hear from officials from METI and DG TRADE<\/strong> and from four companies from Europe and Japan<\/strong>:<\/strong> Panasonic, Tony’s Chocolonely, Teijin and Maersk<\/strong>. \nThis event is co-organised by the sustainability committees of the EBC and the JBCE. \n– Agenda<\/strong><\/a> \n– Registration<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
Global medical and health organizations have called on world leaders ahead of U.N. climate talks to swiftly phase out of fossil fuels, <\/strong>saying climate change-induced extreme weather events are causing serious health problems worldwide. “A full and rapid phaseout of fossil fuels is the most significant way to provide the clean air, water, and environment that are foundational to good health,” they said in an open letter addressed to the United Arab Emirates’ industry minister, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who will preside over the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. (The Mainichi<\/a>)<\/li>\n
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