EBC Newsletter – January 31, 2024

On 25 January, the EBC team went to MOFA to meet with Sotaro Ozaki, Director of the International Economy Division, and Takeshi Koyama, Director of the European Union Economic Affairs Bureau.
Later the same day, we met with Ken Fujita, Director of the European Division, Trade Policy Bureau at METI, and Daiki Megumi, Deputy Director.
These two divisions have been, and continue to be, close interlocutors of the EBC. This was particularly evident before and during the EPA negotiations, when the EBC was in constant contact with both MOFA and METI to stress the importance of the EPA and to ensure that our issues were raised for discussion.
Both the new President, Laurent Depus, and the Directors emphasised the importance of continuing to co-operate.

The EBC team is looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Valerie Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer

• The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry plans to start actively supporting the recruitment of foreign nationals from fiscal 2024 as Local Vitalization Cooperators who will move from urban areas to underpopulated areas to engage in activities such as tourism promotion and agriculture, it has been learned. (The Japan News)
• Japan is preparing to add four sectors including the transportation industry to its foreign blue-collar skilled worker visa granting up to five years of working rights, government sources said Sunday, amid fears of driver shortages. (The Mainichi)
• Japan, the United States, Britain, Australia and seven other countries have agreed on international guidelines for the secure use of artificial intelligence, the Japanese government announced Wednesday. The guidelines are a coordinated initiative aimed at addressing the risks posed by generative AI to intellectual property and others. The other countries that agreed to the guidelines include Canada, Germany, Israel and Singapore. (The Japan News)

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