ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(77)105
Vol.1977/9004

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement (CEE, Euratom) n°354/83 duConseil du1erfévrier 1983
concernant l'ouverture aupublic desarchives historiques delaCommunauté économique
européenne etdelaCommunauté européenne del'énergie atomique (JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifié par lerèglement (CE, Euratom) n°1700/2003 du22septembre 2003
(JOL243du27.9.2003, p.1),cedossier estouvert aupublic. Lecaséchéant, lesdocuments
classifiés présents dans cedossier ontétédéclassifiés conformément àl'article 5dudit
règlement.
Inaccordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No354/83 of1February 1983
concerning theopening tothepublic ofthehistorical archives oftheEuropean Economic
Community andtheEuropean Atomic Energy Community (OJL43,15.2.1983, p.1),as
amended byRegulation (EC, Euratom) No1700/2003 of22September 2003 (OJL243,
27.9.2003, p.1),this fileisopen tothepublic. Where necessary, classified documents inthis
filehave been declassified inconformity with Article 5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr.354/83 desRates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L43vom 15.2.1983,
S.1),geändert durch dieVerordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr.1700/2003 vom 22.September 2003
(ABI. L243vom 27.9.2003, S.1),istdiese Datei derÖffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
erforderlich, wurden dieVerschlusssachen indieser Datei inÜbereinstimmung mitArtikel 5
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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(77)105final
Brussels,18March1977
CONFIDENTIAL
REPORTFROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHEEUROPEAN COUNCIL ONJAPAN
(Rome.25and.26March.1977)
COM(77)105final

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vvt^ '•vr*?r* mTrrv**7>rvtrr^*** r*+*▼-«▼>**▼«*»-*^*•-*•-•'»A-*-v•- .v>i...o l.»t.if/u.' '''"'""11 IIlIlIii■II ■!
1.Atitesesnionof30November1976theEuropeanCouncilissued
astatementinwhichitnotedwith<;cnc(?rntheeffectsofimport
andejcportpracticesfollowedinJapanandtherapiddeterioration
inthetradepituationbetweentheCommunityandJapan.The
EuropeanCouncilinvitedCommunityinctitutions togiveurgent
conciserationtothereproblems.ThoCouncilfitatomentadd«d
thattheCouncil"expectrthatrubstantial progrecowillhave
beenachievedbeforeitenextmeetingonthesolution*whichare
Urgentlyneededtor«alir«theCommunity'*objectivof
2.SinceNovemberoflastyeartheCommissionhasconducted
intensivediscussions withtheJapaneseauthoritiesinrespect
ofawiderangeoftradingmattersandgoodprogresshasbeenmade
overanumberofimportantindustrialsectors,bothasregards
JapaneseexportstotheCommunity,andCommunityexportstoJapan.
3.InrespectofJapaneseexport*totheCommunityprogresshas
beencadeinthefollowingsectors:
(0Steel.TheJapaneseauthoritieshav*givenassurances
thatJapan'ssteelexportstotheConnunitywill"belower
in1977thantheywerein1976.Furthermore,Japan
isapplyingasystemofvoluntaryrestraintasregards
theexportofspecialsteelproductstotheUnited
KingdomuntiltheendofJuneofthisyearanddiscussions
toextendtheschemebeyondthatdateareinprogress.
(ii)rMrbulldlrg.Japanhfvaapplieda5Pprc#3n*
increacetoallvesselsunderconstructionandis
applyingvoluntaryrestraintsasregardstheexportof
vesselstocomeI'emberStates.Shehasalsogiven
undertakingsinrespectofthereductionofthelabour
; /force
C30C.i'ut–tt-T.,.o*on.7»00-0,>«80«>-–' 877covfu"COMEU*-
ην

forceengagedinshipbuildingand&aregardsastandstill
inherchareoftheworldmarket.
(iii)O-rr.Undertakingh^veteengivenbyJapaneseindustry
regardingtheehareofJapanesecarsintheBritish
market.
4.AsregardstheCommunity*sexportstoJapan,theJapanese
Governmenthaveagreedtorecognisethevalidityoftestscarriedout
inEuropeover pharmaceutical productsandmotorvehicles.
TheJapaneseauthoritieshavealsodecidedtograntathreeyear
derogationtoEuropeancarsinrespectoftheirregulationsconcerning
exhaustemissionswhichcomeintoforceinApril1978.
5.Furtherdiscussions aretakingplacebetweentheCommission
andtheJapaneseCovernmentoverCommunityexportsinothersectors.
Theseincludeagriculturalproducts^wh<irelittleprogresshassofar
beenachieed;Italiansilkwherenewquotaarrangements areneeded
asfromApril;andchemical,pharmaceutical andfootwearproducts
whereanumberofsuggestionsdesignedtoremovetradebarriershave
beenputtotheJapaneseauthorities,andarebeingstudied.
6.RecentfigureswouldseemtoindicatethattheCommunity's
tradedeficitwithJapan,whichin1976reachedsome4billiondollars
willnotincreasefurtherin1977.TheCommissionbelievesthatthe
sensiblecoursefortheCommunitylptobuildontheprogrercwhichhas
alrc*-ybeencadebycontinuingtheintensivediscussionswiththe
Japaneeeinrespectoftheirexportar.dimportpolicies.Parthorooro,
theComnicrionwillnothenitatetoactwherethereicevidence
ofdumpingbyJapanontheIMropeanmarket,asitrecentlydid
asregardsJapaneseexportsofballbearings.
7.ThereislittledoubtthatanincreaseinexportstoJapan
remainsaCommunitypriority.Thisispartlyataatterofincreased
effortsbyCommunityindustries.ButtheCommunityalso
reedstostresstotheJapaneseGovernmenttheimportanceit
/attaches

attachestothecreationofamorefavourableattitudeinJapan
towardsimportsandthecreationoftheeconomicandmonetary
conditions whichcanmakethisfeasible.
8.TheConmiocionbelievesthatatthiseta^eitisbeetto
proceedthroughdiccuEcionandnegotiationinordertoachieve
&morohealthytradingrelationship withJapan#