The European Parliament adopted by 490 votes to 18, with 62 abstentions, a resolution containing the European Parliament’s recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service on the negotiations of the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership agreement.

Recalling that Japan has been an EU strategic partner since 2003 and that it already cooperates with the EU in a number of crucial fields, Parliament addressed the following recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service (EASA):

The strategic partnership agreement negotiations : Parliament urged, as a priority, the conclusion of the negotiations aiming at providing a long-standing framework for a closer relationship contributing considerably to the deepening of political, economic and cultural relations between both parties.

It sought to strengthen the political dialogue with this country by:

reaffirming shared values, common goals and responsibilities for the promotion of global peace and enhancing the non-proliferation, disarmament and elimination of weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity and the fight against international crime; enhancing cooperation and coordination in the international arena; exploring the scope of enhancing cooperation on global security issues and strengthening cooperation on civilian crisis management and natural and man-made disasters; urging the Japanese Government to inform the international community as precisely and comprehensively as possible of available data on the Fukushima situation at the reactor site and on the levels of pollution.

Parliament also suggested supporting regional dialogue in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also bilateral relations with Japan and China and North Korea.

Human rights and fundamental freedoms : Parliament reaffirmed the shared values of respect for human rights, democracy, fundamental freedoms. It called to negotiate a provision in the agreement including reciprocal conditionality and political clauses on human rights and democracy , reconfirming the mutual commitment to these values.

In an amendment adopted in plenary, Parliament called on the EU to enter into a dialogue with the Japanese Government on a moratorium on capital punishment with a view to its eventual abolition.

Sectoral cooperation : Parliament requested that the possibilities for closer cooperation on satellite navigation systems should be explored and that bilateral trade and cooperation on policies promoting safe, secure and sustainable energy, energy efficiency, renewable energies, nuclear safety, etc should be intensified. Cooperation is sought in the areas of sustainable management of fish stocks, cyberspace, cultural exchange, academic, youth, people-to-people and sports exchanges to respond to the needs of an aging and active society.

Lastly, Parliament called for the strengthening of the provisions on parliamentary cooperation as well as providing binding deadlines for the implementation of the strategic partnership agreement and to provide for monitoring mechanisms, including regular reports to Parliament.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Alojz PETERLE (EPP, SI) containing the European Parliament’s recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service on the negotiations of the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership agreement.

Recalling that Japan has been an EU strategic partner since 2003 and that it already cooperates with the EU in a number of crucial fields, Members addressed the following recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action Service (EASA):

The strategic partnership agreement negotiations : Members urged, as a priority, the conclusion of the negotiations aiming at providing a long-standing framework for a closer relationship contributing considerably to the deepening of political, economic and cultural relations between both parties.

Members sought to strengthen the political dialogue with this country by:

reaffirming shared values, common goals and responsibilities for the promotion of global peace and enhancing the non-proliferation, disarmament and elimination of weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity and the fight against international crime; exploring the scope of enhancing cooperation on global security issues and strengthening cooperation on civilian crisis management and natural and man-made disasters; urging the Japanese Government to inform the international community as precisely and comprehensively as possible of available data on the Fukushima situation at the reactor site and on the levels of pollution.

Members suggested supporting regional dialogue in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also bilateral relations with Japan and China and North Korea.

Human rights and fundamental freedoms : Members reaffirmed the shared values of respect for human rights, democracy, fundamental freedoms. They called to negotiate a provision in the agreement including reciprocal conditionality and political clauses on human rights and democracy , reconfirming the mutual commitment to these values.

Sectoral cooperation : Members requested that the possibilities for closer cooperation on satellite navigation systems should be explored and that bilateral trade and cooperation on policies promoting safe, secure and sustainable energy, energy efficiency, renewable energies, nuclear safety, etc should be intensified. Cooperation is sought in the areas of sustainable management of fish stocks, cyberspace, cultural exchange, academic, youth, people-to-people and sports exchanges to respond to the needs of an aging and active society.

Lastly, Members called for the strengthening of the provisions on parliamentary cooperation as well as providing binding deadlines for the implementation of the strategic partnership agreement and to provide for monitoring mechanisms, including regular reports to Parliament.