| Dear Friends of the EBC,
The EBC Railway Committee visited the Ministry for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on 28 April. At the MLIT, the EBC met with officials from the International Standardization Office of the Railway Bureau. Most of the discussions around the table focused on standardisation and conformity assessment schemes. The EBC has long been an advocator for a common assessment scheme covering all railway operators in Japan. Under such a system, the number of tests required would be drastically reduced without lowering the safety and performance levels. If you are interested in this topic and are looking for further information, please look at our digital White Paper! (please scroll down to see the Key issues and recommendations)
On Tuesday 30 May from 15:30, the EBC Sustainability and Social Responsibility Committee will hold an event on the sustainability dimension of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. Three guest speakers will share their expertise and views:
Gabriele Lo Monaco, DG TRADE, European Commission; previously First Secretary, Trade Section, Delegation of the EU to Japan; Sarah Herman, dual Master’s graduate student, University of Tokyo – Sciences Po Paris, author of a research on the implications of the EU-Japan EPA for EU-Japan relations around sustainable trade and development; Roisin Neville, graduate student, University of Oxford, author of a research about the relationship between the EU-Japan EPA and climate policy.
If you are a European company potentially interested in joining this committee, the EBC would like to invite you to take part in our discussions. To register for the meeting and for more information, send an email to: [email protected]
“The European economy continues to show resilience in a challenging global context. Lower energy prices, abating supply constraints and a strong labour market supported moderate growth in the first quarter of 2023, dispelling fears of a recession. This better-than-expected start to the year lifts the growth outlook for the EU economy to 1.0% in 2023 (0.8% in the Winter interim Forecast) and 1.7% in 2024 (1.6% in the winter). Upward revisions for the euro area are of a similar magnitude, with GDP growth now expected at 1.1% and 1.6% in 2023 and 2024 respectively. On the back of persisting core price pressures, inflation has also been revised upwards compared to the winter, to 5.8% in 2023 and 2.8% in 2024 in the euro area”. To know more about the European economy, please read the Spring 2023 Economic Forecast: an improved outlook amid persistent challenges released on 15 May 2023 by the European Commission.
The EBC team is looking forward to hearing from you,
Valerie Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer |
