ID :
185052
Sat, 05/28/2011 - 17:34
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https://oananews.org//node/185052
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Japan, EU to start preliminary free trade talks, promote nuke safety
BRUSSELS (Kyodo) - Japanese and European Union leaders on Saturday agreed to swiftly start preparatory talks for a future free trade accord during an annual summit in Brussels, while vowing to cooperate to reinforce international nuclear safety standards amid Japan's nuclear crisis, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.
As a step toward further cementing their bilateral ties, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also said they will seek a binding agreement covering political, global and cooperation among sectors, the statement said.
The deal to start the process of defining ''the scope and level of ambition'' of the free trade negotiations comes as the European Union appears to have softened its stance over the issue in a bid to help restore the Asian economy suffering from the aftermath of the March 11 massive quake and tsunami and the ongoing nuclear crisis.
''Such scoping would be carried out as soon as possible,'' the statement said, adding the European Union's executive body will seek the necessary authorization for the negotiations of this accord on the basis of a successful scoping.
If Japan can reach a free trade accord with the 27-member European Union, its third largest trade partner, it will be Japan's first such pact with a region with advanced large-scale markets, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Japan has been eager to launch free trade talks with the European Union as it believes the elimination of EU tariffs on cars and electrical appliances would benefit Japanese companies.
Tokyo is also pressured by moves between the European Union and South Korea, whose free trade pact is due to take effect in July, as Japanese products especially cars and home appliances could lose the competitive edge against South Korean products in the European market.
But there is no guarantee that the scoping exercise will proceed smoothly, given the European Union's repeated call for Japan to ease nontariff barriers, like regulations on product safety screening, and to open its public procurement market. Europe's car industry is also reluctant about a pact that could embrace a cut or an elimination of the 10 percent tariff on auto imports.
The impact of the twin natural disasters that devastated Japan's northeast and triggered the country's worst nuclear accident was also a key topic during the meeting, with the two sides deciding to continue close dialogue during Japan's recovery phase and enhance cooperation on disaster management.
They will also intensify cooperation on strengthening international nuclear safety standards and the leaders encouraged all other global partners to join them in ensuring that safety at all their nuclear plants is ''rigorously assessed,'' the statement said.
As Japan struggles with rumors about contamination of its products because of the radiation-spewing accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Japan and European Union ''shared the view that it is important for public policy responses based on solid scientific evidence'' in regard to goods and travel.
Countries and regions around the globe have tightened Japanese imports, including the European Union, which requires government-issued certificates of radiation inspection on food and feed items from Fukushima and surrounding prefectures.
Most recently, the European Union added items from Kanagawa Prefecture to be subjected to the measure, after radioactive cesium above the allowable level in Japan was detected in green tea leaves grown in the prefecture adjacent to the capital earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the Japanese and EU leaders expressed ''great concern'' over what they call ''unsatisfactory progress'' in the ailing global trade liberalization talks and agreed to ensure the global supply of rare earths, apparently keeping in mind China's tight control over the strategically important resource, which is used in the production of high-tech items.
As for regional issues, the leaders condemned North Korea for seriously violating U.N. Security Council resolutions over its uranium enrichment activities and urged the reclusive country to take concrete actions toward denuclearization.
Kan attended the Japan-EU summit meeting in the Belgian capital after participating in the Group of Eight summit in France. He will return to Japan on Sunday.
As a step toward further cementing their bilateral ties, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also said they will seek a binding agreement covering political, global and cooperation among sectors, the statement said.
The deal to start the process of defining ''the scope and level of ambition'' of the free trade negotiations comes as the European Union appears to have softened its stance over the issue in a bid to help restore the Asian economy suffering from the aftermath of the March 11 massive quake and tsunami and the ongoing nuclear crisis.
''Such scoping would be carried out as soon as possible,'' the statement said, adding the European Union's executive body will seek the necessary authorization for the negotiations of this accord on the basis of a successful scoping.
If Japan can reach a free trade accord with the 27-member European Union, its third largest trade partner, it will be Japan's first such pact with a region with advanced large-scale markets, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Japan has been eager to launch free trade talks with the European Union as it believes the elimination of EU tariffs on cars and electrical appliances would benefit Japanese companies.
Tokyo is also pressured by moves between the European Union and South Korea, whose free trade pact is due to take effect in July, as Japanese products especially cars and home appliances could lose the competitive edge against South Korean products in the European market.
But there is no guarantee that the scoping exercise will proceed smoothly, given the European Union's repeated call for Japan to ease nontariff barriers, like regulations on product safety screening, and to open its public procurement market. Europe's car industry is also reluctant about a pact that could embrace a cut or an elimination of the 10 percent tariff on auto imports.
The impact of the twin natural disasters that devastated Japan's northeast and triggered the country's worst nuclear accident was also a key topic during the meeting, with the two sides deciding to continue close dialogue during Japan's recovery phase and enhance cooperation on disaster management.
They will also intensify cooperation on strengthening international nuclear safety standards and the leaders encouraged all other global partners to join them in ensuring that safety at all their nuclear plants is ''rigorously assessed,'' the statement said.
As Japan struggles with rumors about contamination of its products because of the radiation-spewing accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Japan and European Union ''shared the view that it is important for public policy responses based on solid scientific evidence'' in regard to goods and travel.
Countries and regions around the globe have tightened Japanese imports, including the European Union, which requires government-issued certificates of radiation inspection on food and feed items from Fukushima and surrounding prefectures.
Most recently, the European Union added items from Kanagawa Prefecture to be subjected to the measure, after radioactive cesium above the allowable level in Japan was detected in green tea leaves grown in the prefecture adjacent to the capital earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the Japanese and EU leaders expressed ''great concern'' over what they call ''unsatisfactory progress'' in the ailing global trade liberalization talks and agreed to ensure the global supply of rare earths, apparently keeping in mind China's tight control over the strategically important resource, which is used in the production of high-tech items.
As for regional issues, the leaders condemned North Korea for seriously violating U.N. Security Council resolutions over its uranium enrichment activities and urged the reclusive country to take concrete actions toward denuclearization.
Kan attended the Japan-EU summit meeting in the Belgian capital after participating in the Group of Eight summit in France. He will return to Japan on Sunday.
