Press Releases

1. 　On 21 December, in Brussels (Belgium), Japan and the European Union exchanged diplomatic notes to notify each other that their respective applicable legal requirements and procedures for entry into force of the Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership (Japan-EU EPA) have been completed. With this exchange of notes, the Agreement will enter into force on 1 February, 2019.
2. 　This Agreement will promote liberalisation and facilitation of trade in goods and services and increase investment opportunities between Japan and the European Union, while also creating a framework for economic partnership in a broad range of fields such as electronic commerce, government procurement, competition policy, intellectual property and small and medium-sized enterprises.
3. 　It is expected that the entry into force of this Agreement will further invigorate the economies of Japan and the European Union and strengthen their relationship.

　(Reference 1) The provision concerning entry into force of Japan-EU EPA (Article 23.3)
　This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which the Parties notify each other that their respective applicable legal requirements and procedures for entry into force of this Agreement have been completed, unless the Parties agree otherwise. The Parties shall make such notification through an exchange of diplomatic notes between the European Union and the Government of Japan.

　(Reference 2) Japan’s EPAs
　Japan-EU EPA will be the 17th EPA for Japan, following EPAs with Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, Chile, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, ASEAN, the Philippines, Switzerland, Viet Nam, India, Peru, Australia and Mongolia and the TPP11 Agreement which will enter into force on 30 December 2018.