Japan, EU remain apart in FTA talks
MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency - 29/04/2015
Japan, EU remain apart in FTA talks
(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Japan and the European Union (EU) wrapped up the 10th round of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry announced here.
At week-long talks in Tokyo, the two sides held fruitful discussions on areas such as trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights, non-tariff measures, government procurement and others, according to the ministry. The schedule of the next round will be arranged accordingly, the ministry said, without providing further details.
But citing officials, public broadcaster NHK said the two sides ended their latest round of free trade talks without narrowing their differences on key issues. One of the focal points was easing of conditions that would allow private businesses to take part in public works projects in both markets.
EU negotiators asked Japan to lower barriers for foreign firms’ participation in the country’s railway projects and public works sponsored by local governments, while Japan wants more of its private firms to participate in Europe’s electric power industry, the report said. But neither side showed any sign of compromise.
The officials also discussed Japan’s demand for removing the EU’s tariffs on Japanese cars. EU officials urged Japan to eliminate tariffs on agricultural and processed products such as cheese in return.
Japan and the EU plan to continue working-level talks ahead of a meeting of their leaders in late May, in which European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker are expected to reconfirm with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that they aim to reach a broad accord this year.
Japan is the EU’s second biggest trading partner in Asia, after China. Together Japan and the EU account for more than a third of the world’s GDP, according to the EU.
