EDA welcomes political agreement on EU-Japan FTA
The Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe, president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk have signed a political agreement, establishing the main elements of the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
“The conclusion of the EU-Japan FTA is a good sign for Europe, for Japan and for the global trade”, says Alexander Anton, EDA secretary general. “Especially since the Trans-Pacific Partnership has failed to be implemented for the time being, this is a good moment to conclude the EU-Japan FTA.”
The signature of this political agreement is a clear statement illustrating the commission’s strategy towards a broader trade strategy and their willingness to engage in trade negotiations with third countries. The dairy sector is one of the sectors of the European economy that has undergone the deepest structural and policy reforms over the past months and years. It has achieved huge progress in terms of global competitiveness towards most of our competitors around the globe, thanks to the overall trade strategy of the EU Commission to open more markets for dairy products.
“As the full details of the agreement will be published and the technical details concluded, we will see if the terms of the FTA will allow a real market access to EU dairy. A proper implementation of the agreement will be key,” adds Anton.
He concludes that, “the commitment of both EU commissioner Cecilia Malmström and EU commissioner Phil Hogan in finalising last week the details for this political agreement is highly appreciated by the EU dairy sector. We welcome the new opportunities that this EU-Japan FTA will give to our industry.”