Japan-European Union (EU) Regulatory Reform Dialogue in Tokyo
(Overview)
December 2006
1. Date and attendees
(1) Date: Friday, 1 December 2006, 10:00-17:30
Venue: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(2) Attendees from the Japanese side: Mr. Kaoru Ishikawa, Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) (Co-Chair); Mr. Sumio Kusaka, Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau of MOFA; Ms. Tomiko Ichikawa, Director of the Economic Integration Division of MOFA; and officials from 9 ministries and agencies
(3) Attendees from the EU side: Mr. Karel Kovanda, Deputy Director-General of the External Relations Directorate General of the European Commission (Co-Chair); Mr. Gerhard Lohan, Head of Unit for Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, External Relations Directorate General of the European Commission; Mr. Johannes Jeroen Hooijer, Head of Unit, Internal Market and Services Directorate General of the European Commission; officials from the European Commission; and officials from the Delegation of the European Commission in Japan
(Note) Started in 1994, the Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue has been annually held in Tokyo and Brussels in recent years. Every year, each side submits proposals for regulatory reform for the other side and both sides discuss the regulations in Japan and the EU with a view to improving the business environment. The next meeting is expected to be held in Brussels around March 2007.
2. Overview
(1) EU's Proposals for Regulatory Reform in Japan
- List [PDF]
- Full Text (English [PDF] ; Japanese translation [PDF] )
Japan's Proposals for Regulatory Reform in EU
- List [PDF]
- Full Text (Provisional English translation [PDF] ; Japanese [PDF] )
(2) Discussions and explanations at the meeting were focused primarily on the EU's Proposals to Japan, which include the following topics:
(a) Investment
(i) Triangular merger and the related taxation measures
(ii) Article 821 on 'pseudo-foreign companies' of the new Corporate Code
(iii) Human resources (re-entry permits, pension schemes and others)
(iv) Transparency (Public Comment Procedure and others)
(b) Government procurement
Improvement of the tendering procedures for construction and other sectors,
(c) Information and Communications Technology
(i) Universal Service System
(ii) Regulations for promotion of competition
(d) Financial services (banking, insurance, auditing)
(i) Financial Instruments and Exchange Law (FIEL) system
(ii) Approval of the trust business by foreign bank branches
(iii) Review on treatment of re-insurance for Small-amount Short-term Insurance Providers, and others
(e) Privatisation of Japan Post
Ensuring a level playing field and fair competition between the to-be-privatised postal entities and private sector companies, and others.
(f) Air transport
Bilateral air services agreements and EU laws
(g) Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
Improvement of the approval process for pharmaceuticals and medical devices
(h) Food safety and agricultural products
(i) Speeding up of the authorisation process for food additives and flavourings
(ii) Imports of bovine and ovine products
(iii) Organic food certification
(iv) Phytosanitary regulations
(v) Breeders' rights
(vi) Regionalisation
(i) International standards
(i) Wood standards (facilitation of exchange of information and opinions through an expert forum).
(ii) Packages for foodstuff (introduction of new testing methods for safety verification of retort packages)
(3) Japan's Proposals to the EU on the following topics were also introduced in the meeting:
(a) Assessment of equivalence between Japanese GAAP and International Accounting Standards (IFRS)
(b) Quarantine and food safety (Request of lifting the ban on the export of Japanese meat and meat products to European countries)
(c) Trade and customs (Exclusion of Camcorders and Box Cameras from the scope of anti-dumping investigation)
(d) New chemical regulations in EU (REACH)
(e) Speeding up and simplification of the issuing process for residence and work permits
3. Results
(1) It was confirmed that the Japan-EU Regulatory Reform Dialogue is an effective tool for promoting regulatory reform and two-way investment in Japan and the EU. The both sides also confirmed the importance of promoting exchange of information and views between the relevant authorities through the framework of this dialogue.
(2) The EU side expressed its appreciation for Japan's efforts on, inter alia, the following:
(a) Publication of Annual Surveys on Public Comment Procedures
(b) Promotion of competition in the ICT sectors
(c) Reviews on regulations for banking/insurance services
(d) Privatisation of Japan Post
(e) Improvement of the approval process for pharmaceuticals and medical devices
(f) Facilitation of expert meetings on wood standards
(g) Introduction of new testing methods for safety verification of retort packages
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