Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On New Year, the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement became active, solidifying political, economic, and security collaboration on global matters.
On the first day of New Year, the first-ever bilateral framework arrangement between the European Union and its member nations and Japan, the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), comes into force. This landmark understanding will guide future arrangements between the players and guarantee closer political and economic partnership on an array of bilateral, regional and multilateral matters.
How will the SPA enhance EU-Japan global collaboration?
As reported by the press of the EU Council, following the deal European Union and Japan will be better positioned to support the multilateral and rules-based international order, having the UN at its core, and support joint values and principles such as the rule of law, respect for human rights, democracy, open markets, fair and free trade.
According to the EU Council, the agreement will improve security cooperation partnership in the battle against terrorism and grave international crimes, as well as against the expansion of weapons of mass destruction. Also, the SPA will enable sectorial collaboration in fields such as space, information and transmission technologies, industrial approach, energy, education, transport, research and innovation. Moreover, a joint committee will blend the overall collaboration, providing a forum to examine all the matters covered in the contract.
When was the EU-Japan SPA signed and ratified?
Back on 17 July 2018, the European Union and Japan inked the deal in Tokyo. The European Parliament gave its approval on 12 December 2018, and on 5 April 2024, the ratification processes of the agreement by member nations were completed. In parallel to the talks on the SPA, the European Union and its member nations opened negotiations for an economic cooperation arrangement with Japan on 29 November 2012.
Apart from that, the European Union (EU) has built major trade deals with Japan primarily through the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). It was signed on July 17, 2018, and entered into force on February 1, 2019. It is said to be one of the largest trade agreements ever negotiated by the EU, involving more than 600 million people and looking forward to building a major open trade zone.
