The EU-Japan FTA negotiations started on 15 April 2013. A special “review clause” contained in the negotiating directives required the European Commission to assess the progress achieved during the first year of the negotiations with a view to determining the prospects for their continuation.
In line with that, in May 2014 the Commission prepared a detailed report, focusing in particular on the implementation by Japan of its commitments regarding the elimination of a number of non-tariff measures and the opening of the railways procurement market to European suppliers. However, a lot remains to be done and many other non-tariff measures need to be dismantled before an agreement can be concluded. This will be the objective of the second phase of the negotiations whose final aim is an ambitious and meaningful FTA.
On 25 June 2014 the review process was positively completed. A new round of negotiations
took place in the beginning of July 2014. The next (seventh) round is scheduled for the end of October in Brussels.
Source: European Commission
