EBC Newsletter – July 7, 2021

EBC Newsletter – July 7, 2021

 

 

From the EBC

Dear Friends of the EBC,

In this week’s Newsletter, two important reminders:

Finally, if you are a company active in the Internet of Things (IoT), Software/hardware, Fintech, IT, Telecommunications, E-commerce, Digital Consultancy, Social Media, Advertising, or in more traditional sectors with a strong digital component (e.g., E-Health), you could be interested in completing a survey relating to Trade in Digital Goods and Services between the EU and Japan. This survey is a unique opportunity for businesses to provide feedback to the EU on hurdles currently faced by EU operators in the field of Digital Goods and Services.

We hope you stay positive and healthy during this difficult time.

Valerie Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer

EBC flash survey on the impact of the entry ban on European companies and their Japanese partners

 

The entry restrictions imposed by the Japanese government on foreign non-residents since January 2021 seem to have negative economic impacts on foreign and Japanese businesses and the economy in Japan.

The EBC has been actively advocating this issue through various meetings with the Japanese authorities and by publishing on May 28 a joint statement with the ACCJ, the ANZCCJ and the CCCJ.

To better evaluate the real impact of the entry restrictions on European businesses and use the results for advocacy purposes, the EBC is launching a flash survey targeting European businesses in Japan. The more companies that take part in the survey, the more representative the results become, hence more useful. We therefore hope for your cooperation and support!

The survey is accessible through this link: https://fr.surveymonkey.com/r/CXQM8SK

From June 15 to July 7.
Thank you in advance for filling it!

EBC Briefing (online) – 2021 Tax reform – digitalisation and greening of the economy – 8 July, 16:00

 

With the 2021 tax reform, Japan will implement tax policies in line with the 2050 carbon neutrality target and the digitisation of the economy.

The EBC is fortunate to be able to organise a tax event with METI as presenters. The seminar will hopefully offer plenty of opportunities for you to better understand how your company can take advantage of the tax incentives offered by the new tax policies. As mentioned above, the two main topics of the day will be:

  1. Carbon neutrality investment schemes
  2. Digital transformation

The event will be held virtually on 8 July from 16:00, in Japanese. The presentation material will however be both in English and Japanese.

Deputy Director Shohei Hiroyama from the Industry Creation Policy Division will give the presentation (tbc).

Please register by sending an email to: [email protected] with “EBC tax event” in the subject line. Links to access the event will be sent out a day or two before the event to those that have registered.

If you already have questions, do let us know in advance and we will make certain that these are addressed.

Survey on Trade in Digital Goods and Services between the EU and Japan

 

If you are a company active in fields of Internet of Things (IoT), Software/hardware, Fintech, IT, Telecommunications, E-commerce, Digital Consultancy, Social Media, Advertising, or in more traditional sectors with a strong digital component (e.g., E-Health), this survey is a unique opportunity for businesses to provide feedback to the EU on hurdles currently faced by EU operators in the field of Digital Goods and Services. The survey results will feed into a study that will highlight opportunities and hurdles for EU operators and will consequently put forward recommendations for enhanced cooperation and regulatory improvements.

Your contribution to this survey is highly valued and will prove to be instrumental towards improving the business climate for EU businesses. The survey can be found at the following link:

Survey link:  https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/DigitalSurvey_Final
Deadline: August 20, 2021

For any questions/clarifications regarding the survey, please do not hesitate to contact: [email protected]

What’s in the Media

  • Japan revises down GDP growth rate to 3.7% (News on Japan)
  • Japan seeks to have vaccine passports accepted by over 10 nations (Japan Today)
  • Japanese airlines eye shift to greener fuels with carbon neutrality in sight (The Mainichi)
  • Countries agree on global minimum corporate tax (News on Japan)
  • Japan’s farm ministry sets up new bureau to expand food exports (The Mainichi)

Upcoming EBC Committee Meetings

Date Committee Time / Location
July 15 (Thursday) Medical Equipment & Diagnostics Committee Off-site
1430~
July 22 (Thursday) Human Resources Web
0900~
Aug 26 (Thursday) Medical Equipment & Diagnostics Committee Off-site
1430~
Aug 30 (Monday) Materials EBC & Web
1730~

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

EBC White Paper

The EBC published its annual document on the Japanese regulatory business environment last July.

This year’s White Paper is called “Strengthening partnerships – in crisis and opportunity alike” . The opportunity is of course referring to the EU-Japan EPA that entered into force on February 1, 2019. Unfortunately, at the same time the COVID -19 crisis struck the world.

We are, however, confident that with our recommendations, the European and Japanese economies and companies will continue to prosper.

Stakeholders of the EBC:

European Business Council JAPAN
Sanbancho POULA Bldg. 2F, 6-7 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075
102-0075東京都千代田区三番町6-7三番町POULAビル2F
TEL 03-3263-6222   |   FAX 03-3263-6223
www.ebc-jp.com/