Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Equal Opportunities, stressed that “data is the fuel of the global economy and this agreement will allow data to enter safely between us for the benefit of our citizens and economies”. As stated by the European Commission, “in the digital age, both sides reaffirm that in the digital age, the promotion of high standards of privacy and protection of personal data and the facilitation of international trade must and can go hand in hand”. To find out more about exporting European food and beverages to Japan under our epa fiscal trade agreement? The entry into force of the EPA alone would have been a remarkable achievement. But the EU and Japan are also celebrating a strategic and digital agreement that strengthens the EPA. Japan and the European Union (EU) launched the new year with triple success. In addition to the entry into force on 1 February of the world`s largest free trade agreement, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and Japan, “the world`s largest space for secure data flows” has also been created in recent weeks and the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the EU and Japan has been partially implemented. The three agreements, strategic, economic and digital, are at the heart of the potentially most important bilateral relationship in protecting and promoting free trade, multilateralism and the rules-based order. This triangle of agreements significantly improves relations between the EU and Japan, with global repercussions. While geography has distanced them, common values and principles have brought the EU and Japan closer together and defended them together.

Negotiations between the EU and Japan have also addressed many non-tariff measures that have raised concerns for EU companies, as certain Japanese technical requirements and certification procedures often make it difficult to export safe European products to Japan. The agreement will go a long way in facilitating access for EU companies to the highly regulated Japanese market, in particular as regards motor vehicles. The EPA ensures that both Japan and the EU fully comply with the same international standards for product safety and environmental protection, meaning that European cars are subject to the same requirements in the EU and Japan and there is no need to test and re-certify them when exported to Japan. . . .