An official audience by Emperor Akihito in Tokyo' Imperial Palace today marked the final event in Jacques Santer's official five-day visit to Japan. He called for a closer relationship in a wide range of areas from political and diplomatic joint action to cooperation on fighting unemployment and facing problems of ageing populations, alongside with increased economic, industrial and trade exchanges. This result is very good news for European drinks exporters and for Japanese consumers alike.
Japan is a major potential market for whisky, cognac, vodka and other European spirits.
I welcome the statement from the Japanese government that they will look into their tax system in the light of the results of the appeal, and urge them to reform their tax regime in next year's budget in a way that will create a fair and open market for the sale of spirits, in the interest of Japanese consumers. I know that Japan shares the EU's commitment to the multilateral trading system and to the resolution of trade disputes by its Disputes Settlement Mechanism. The principal aims of the Week are to emphasise the economic benefits as well as the social importance of health and safety at work and to raise awareness amongst workers and employers about hazards in the work place, encourage effective management of safety and health, promote actions to tackle specific problems and reduce risks and promote all Community measures in this field. Linked to the Week but taking place in November, three major international conferences are planned. 8,000 workers are killed and 10 million injured every year in the workplace, in the European Union.