The EU agri-food business mission to Japan, 2-5 July 2023
European Union (EU) Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski will be visiting Japan from 2 to 5 July 2023, accompanied by a business delegation of over 70 senior representatives from the European agri-food sector, representing mainly meat, dairy, wines, spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, fruit and vegetable and processed products. The purpose of this visit is to facilitate European agricultural food and beverage exports and to benefit from the positive outcomes of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), in force since 2019.
The EU business delegation features a large number of companies offering new products for Japan’s thriving food and beverage market, including many organic products and quality products with the Geographical Indication (GI) labels. The programme will kick off with a seminar outlining market access conditions and opportunities for food and drink exporters, presented by key stakeholders in the field, such as the Japanese AEON retail chain, the Manufactured Imports and Investment Promotion Organisation and others. The EU delegates will meet representatives of the main organisations and companies active in their respective sectors and will have a series of business-tobusiness meetings. Finally, the Japan Food Journal will introduce the delegates to the market opportunities of the food and beverage sector in Osaka, in the Kansai region, with participation of the leading importers and distributors from this area.
In order to provide further networking space, the EU will also host a gala dinner in Tokyo on 3 July, open to the Japanese government, business, EU Member States diplomats and specialised media representatives. The dinner will feature selected EU food products, including GIs and wines.
EU Commissioner Wojciechowski will meet with his counterpart in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and other high-level officials in Japan to discuss agri-food trade related matters. The objective is to support the general purpose of this visit by strengthening the existing good cooperation between the EU and Japan on agri-food matters and by discussing and trying to resolve possible remaining trade barriers.
Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said: Japan is a key trade partner for the EU in East Asia, in particular following the entry into force of the Economic Partnership Agreement in 2019. Since the adoption of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy in 2020, Japan and the EU also co-operate on the broader ambition to improve the sustainability of the global food systems. Moreover, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU and Japan have worked closely to strengthen our common food security. I discussed these issues at length during my latest meeting with Minister Nomura at the G7 in Miyazaki in April. I am confident that this visit, where I will be accompanied by a business delegation of EU agri-food sector representatives, will lead to the new trade opportunities and allow Japanese consumers to benefit even more from the high quality and sustainability standards of EU agri-food production. I look forward to meeting my counterparts in Tokyo again in July and help building new export opportunities.
Japanese media wishing to cover the events of the EU high level mission are welcome to consult the programme and register their interest by contacting us at hlm2023-jp1@agripromotion.eu.