EU-Japan Business Round Table
Press Release
Friday 15 November 2013

The EU-Japan Business Round Table (BRT), a forum of around 50 European andJapanese business leaders, co-chaired by Messrs. Fabrice Brégier (President and CEOof Airbus SAS) and Hiromasa Yonekura (Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.),
has submitted a joint statement to the EU and Japanese Authorities, entitled“Strengthening the EU-Japan Economic Partnership - Unleashing the potential ofeconomic relations through the swift conclusion of a comprehensive, ambitious, highlevel and mutually beneficial FTA/EPA -”. The statement is attached.

Inquiries and contacts
EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation (EU-Japan Business Round Table Secretariat)
In Japan: tel +81 3 6408 0281
Ms Etsuko HONZAWA

Email: etsuko.honzawa@eu-japan.gr.jp

Mr. Sam CLAYDONEmail: sam.claydon@eu-japan.gr.jp

In Belgium: tel +32 2 282 0040
Ms Aiko HIGUCHIEmail: aiko.higuchi@eu-japan.eu

Background
The EU-Japan Business Round Table (BRT) was created in 1999 to foster
communications between Japanese and European industries. Its members are senior
executives from around 50 leading European and Japanese companies. Its main
objective is to submit recommendations to Japanese and European authorities in orderto develop trade and investment between the EU and Japan, and to encourage
industrial cooperation on issues of common interest, such as innovation, climate change,
or industrial standards.
www.eu-japan-brt.eu

- Strengthening the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Unleashing the potential of economic relations through the swift conclusionof a comprehensive, ambitious, high-level and mutually beneficial FTA/EPAThe EU-Japan Business Round Table (BRT) hopes that the 21stEU-Japan Summit will help move EU-Japan bilateral relations to a newlevel. The Summit will discuss various important issues to further
enhance EU-Japan relations and realise strong and sustainableeconomic growth in the EU and Japan, in particular the negotiation of
an EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) / Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA).
The BRT appreciates the efforts that both sides’ Authorities have madein the FTA/EPA negotiations up to now. It now urges them to increase
their efforts to tackle and resolve the substance of the outstanding
issues, and calls on them to conclude as soon as possible acomprehensive, ambitious, high-level and mutually beneficial FTA/EPA
that will unleash the potential of our economic relations by boosting
EU-Japan trade and investment, promoting job creation, and spurring
growth in both economies.
The BRT is ready to support the Authorities with industry expertise andwould welcome an open dialogue with them on the progress of thenegotiations.
The BRT strongly believes that enhanced EU-Japan cooperation will
help create new growth in both the EU and Japan and contribute todealing with such pressing tasks as establishing multilateral rules topromote trade and investment, furthering innovation, and preparing forthe shift to a sustainable world economy taking into account thechallenges of energy, resources, climate change, and an ageing society.
The BRT urges the public and private sectors to join forces to build
even stronger EU-Japan relations and take the bilateral cooperation toa new level.