EBC Newsletter – June 7, 2023

EBC Newsletter – June 7, 2023

 

 

From the EBC

Dear Friends of the EBC,

The 22 EBC committees are made of European companies, members of the 15 national Chambers of Commerce which are stakeholders of the EBC. They monitor the Japanese market, work on non-tariff barriers issues to produce the EBC White Paper, meet with ministries, lawmakers and various organisations, and set up events.

On 30 May, during the last EBC Sustainability Committee meeting, three speakers were invited: Gabriele Lo-Monaco of DG Trade gave a presentation on the latest activities and policies of the European Commission, with a particular focus on the Green Deal and its components. Sarah Herman, of Codo Advisory, presented her findings on the implications of the EU-Japan EPA for sustainable trade and development. She also went through the provisions in the agreement related to sustainability. Roisin Neville, from Oxford University, spoke about the EU-Japan relationship when it comes to climate policy and sustainability. She also looked into the trade flows in goods that support the greening of the economies.

On 31 May, the EBC Railway Committee met with the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) facilities in Kunitachi. In addition to a short discussion on the trends within standardisation, RTRI also showcased the various research and testing being done at the facilities.

The EBC Food and Agriculture Committee will hold a meeting on 21 June from 16:00 at the EBC. It covers the most common regulatory issues that European food and agriculture companies meet on the Japan market such as food additives, duplicate testing, unique standards, tariffs and food packaging to mention but a few.
If you are a European food company or an importer of European food, do come to our meeting, add your issues to the discussion and learn from others. Perhaps also formally join the committee! To register, send an email to [email protected]

Let me also share with you two events :

–  The Tax and regulations’ committee of the French Chamber of Commerce is organising an event on the “Strategic Plan for FDI in Japan – new opportunities for foreign investors in Japan (8 June). Mr.Nagai from Kantei will present the action plan of the Japanese Government dated 26 April 2023.

–  The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation will hold an event on “The Strategy of Resource-Autonomous Circular Economy for Growth” (15 June)

And if you are currently experiencing non-tariff barrier issues on the Japanese market, consider contacting the EBC to join one of our committees!

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

Valerie Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer

What’s in the Media

  • Japan is set to revise its working program for fourth-generation foreigners of Japanese descent and offer permanent residency to individuals who fulfill certain language requirements, immigration agency officials said Tuesday. The change to the program introduced in 2018 and aimed at helping develop human resources familiar with the cultures of their home countries and Japan comes following low uptake and calls to ease its conditions on the maximum age and period that holders are eligible to reside in Japan. (The Mainichi)
  • The Japanese government on Tuesday decided on a plan to generate 15 trillion yen ($107 billion) of investment in the supply of hydrogen over the next 15 years from the public and private sectors in a push to increase its use and speed up decarbonization. Under the revised Basic Hydrogen Strategy, approved at a meeting between relevant ministers, the country also plans to increase its hydrogen supply sixfold from the current level of 2 million tons to around 12 million tons by 2040. (Kyodo News+)
  • Japan set a target for companies listed on the top-tier Prime Market of the Tokyo bourse to achieve the ratio of female board members surpassing 30 percent by 2030, a draft policy blueprint on women’s empowerment showed Monday. The administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would strive to foster a more inclusive and diverse corporate landscape by promoting the appointment of women to higher positions and advancing gender equality in the workplace, his aides said. (Kyodo News+)
  • The government has decided on an action plan for increased consumption by foreign visitors to Japan. The action plan, which was approved at a ministerial meeting on Tuesday, aims to attract visitors for business, research and other non-sightseeing purposes, and sets a goal of increasing their consumption amount to ¥860 billion by 2025, a 20% increase from the 2019 pre-pandemic level. (The Japan News)

Upcoming EBC Committee Meetings

Date Committee Time / Location
June 12 (Mon) Materials hybrid
1730~
June 16 (Fri) Railways hybrid
1600~
June 21 (Wed) Food & Agriculture hybrid
1600~
June 22 (Thu) Human Resources hybrid
0930~
June 22 (Thu) Medical Equipment & Diagnostics Off-site
1430~
June 29 (Thu) Telecommunications Equipment Web
1000~
July 12 (Wed) Legal Services TBC
1200~
July 14 (Fri) Railways hybrid
1600~
July 20 (Thu) Medical Equipment & Diagnostics Off-site
1430~

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

Stakeholders of the EBC:

European Business Council JAPAN
Toranomon Hills Business Tower 15F, 1-17-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6415
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www.ebc-jp.com/