Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

Preparations:

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations initiated: At the 20th EU-Japan Summit of May 2011 the EU and Japan decided to start preparations for both a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a political framework agreement (Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA).

For updates and further details see: http://eu-japan.com/eu-japan-agreements/eu-japan-trade-negotiations/

May 2012: after one year of discussions, the EU agreed with Japan on an agenda for future negotiations covering market access.

On 18 July 2012, the EU Commission asked the EU Member States for agreement on opening Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Japan.

On 29 November 2012, the Council authorized the Commission to start trade negotiations with Japan.

The EU Japan FTA trade negotiations were officially launched on 25 March 2013 by EU President Jose Manuel Barroso, President Herman Van Rompuy and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

• Impact Assessment of EU Japan FTA Free Trade Agreement, 18 July 2012 (pdf file)
• 25 March 2013, Launch of negotiations: Joint statement by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe
• Note of 25 March 2013: “A Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Japan”

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: First round (Brussels, 15-19 April, 2013)

Press release: First Round of EU-Japan Trade negotions (Brussels, 19 April 2013)

EU team leader: Mauro Petriccione, Director in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Trade

Japan team leader: Ambassador Jun Yokota (横田淳), Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Press Release

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Second round (Tokyo, 24 June – 3 July 2013)

Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Press Release: Second Round of Negotiations on the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as well as a Japan EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA)

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Third round (Brussels, 21-25 October 2013)

Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Press Release: Third Round of Negotiations on the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Fourth round (Brussels, 27-31 January 2014)

Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Press Release: Fourth Round of Negotiations on the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Fifth round (Tokyo, 31 March – 4 April, 2014)

Press release by the Foreign Ministry of Japan (4 April 2014)

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Sixth round (Tokyo, 7-11 July 2014)

Sixth Round of Negotiations on the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) (Foreign Ministry of Japan, Press release)

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Seventh round (Brussels, 20-24 October 2014)

Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Press Release: Seventh Round of Negotiations on the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

EU Japan FTA trade negotiations: Eighth round (Tokyo, 8-12 December 2014)

Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Press Release: Eighth Round of Negotiations on the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

• Leader of Japanese delegation: Deputy Foreign Minister (外務審議官（経済)), Yasumasa Nagamine (長嶺　安政)
• Leader of EU delegation: Raffaele Mauro Petriccione, Deputy Director-General, European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade

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