Second Joint Committee Meeting established under the Agreement on Mutual Recognition between Japan and the European Community

October 18, 2002

The second meeting of the Joint Committee, established under the Agreement on Mutual Recognition between Japan and the European Community, was held on October 15 (Tue) in Brussels, Belgium.
The meeting was attended on the Japanese side by Mr. Jun Shimmi, Director, First International Economic Affairs Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-chair of the Committee as the Japanese Government Representative, and other representatives from the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications; the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare; and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and on the EC side by Ms. Joanna Kioussi, Deputy Head of Unit, Directorate General of Trade, European Commission, co-chair of the Joint Committee, and others from European Commission and EU member countries.
The implementation of the Agreement was discussed at the meeting.
Especially in the sector of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) for Chemical Products, all necessary preparations were completed and the Agreement has become operational. Now that the test data concerning safety complied at the confirmed test facilities in Japan (EU) are to be accepted in EU (Japan). Therefore the exporters can spare testing in the importing area. As a result, mutual trade of chemical products is expected to expand.
With regard to the field of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for medicinal products, the Sub Committee established under the Agreement reported to the Joint Committee the progress of the preparatory work required by the Agreement.
The Agreement, which came into effect in January 2002, establishes a framework to enable an exporting party to undertake certain procedures that are required in the importing party at the time of imports with regard to the four fields of telecommunications equipment, electrical products, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) for chemical products, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for medicinal products. The Agreement is aimed at promoting trade between Japan and Europe by reducing costs for companies engaged in trade.
The Agreement is the first bilateral agreement on mutual recognition for Japan. It also symbolizes the smooth progress of the Decade of Japan-Europe Cooperation which started in 2001. The Action Plan for EU-Japan Cooperation, adopted at the Japan-EU summit in December 2001, states that Japan and the EU will start implementing the Agreement with the expectation that mutual trade will be promoted.

Back to Index