EU-Japan FTA negotiations and Protection of brands and GI in Japan Sunday, 10 th November 2013 Delegation of the European Union to Japan Timo Hammaren Bruno Julien-Malvy
Outline of today's talk:- 1. EU-Japan FTA negotiations EU market access interests in Agriculture Japan's offensive interests 2. Prospects for introducing a GI system in Japan Role played by the various government agencies Current state of play on the GI debate
EU-Japan FTA negotiations :- What has happened so far? EU-Japan decided to start preparations for both an FTA and a political framework agreement (at EU-Japan summit, May 2011) Commission agreed with Japan on a very ambitious agenda for negotiations (May 2012) Negotiations officially launched (March 2013)
EU-Japan FTA negotiations :-Agricultural Aspects 1) Tariff elimination Tariff Barriers: High tariffs (e.g. beef, dairy products, wine) TRQs (e.g. pork) 2) NTB (Non-Tariff Barriers) Regulatory Barriers: Food Additives Streaming Approval Procedures Beef Eliminating Import Restrictions Organics Equivalence
EU-Japan FTA negotiations Japan's offensive interests Two-folded aim: Ambitious reforms to turn Japan's heavily regulated agriculture sector into growth industries, and Enhance the multi-functionality of agriculture Japan aims to increase its agricultural exports from 450 billion yen to 1 trillion yen by 2020
Towards a GI system in Japan? Various stakeholders involved MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) JPO (Japan Patent Office) NTA (National Tax Agency) and JA-Zenchu (Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives)
Japan Patent Office (JPO): Manager of Regional Collective Trademark (RCTM) introduced in 2006 through amendment to the Trademark Law applies to products (food/agricultural products, as well as industrial products) and services 560 items registered as of November 2013
Regional Collective Trademark 2012- registered items Food Index by category Category (food) Registered item (example) Category (food) Registered item (example) Vegetable/rice/flower Fruits Japanese tea Meat Awajishima Tamanegi (onion) Naruto Rakkyo (shallot) Mikkabi Mikan (mandarine) Miyoshi Pione (pione, a variety of grape) Fukuoka no Yame-cha (tea) Kobe Beef Kobe Niku (beef) Kobe Ushi (beef) Canada Pork* Processed Foods Milk/Dairy Products Seasoning Confectionery Noodle Kishu Umeboshi (pickled sour plum) Prosciutto di Parma* Tanna Gyunyu (milk) Hida Icecream Sendai Miso (soybean paste) Chinkokozu (Vinegar from China)* Soka Senbei (rice cracker) Okinawa Soba (buckwheat noddle) Marine Products Ohma Maguro (Tuna) Hiroshima Kaki (Oyster) Japanese Sake /Spirits Kuma shouchu (spirits) * application from overseas
National Tax Agency (NTA) Manager of GI for wines and spirits in accordance with WTO TRIPS agreement carries out quality checks on wines and spirits administers the system of labelling based on place of origin so far only 6 items recognised (of which only one wine, recently recognised)
GI wines/spirits recognised by NTA Category Product's name Production region Liquor Iki Nagasaki Prefecture, Iki City Liquor Kuma Kumamoto Prefecture, Kuma Region Liquor Ryukyu Okinawa Prefecture Liquor Satsuma Kagoshima Prefecture Sake Hakusan Ishikawa Prefecture, Hakusan City Wine Yamanashi Yamanashi Prefecture
JA-Zenchu (Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives) lobbying organisation representing interests of Japanese farmers and their agricultural co-operative organisations a strong opponent to TPP, but in favour of introducing an EU type of GI system in Japan
D'Agen Prune (made in California) vs Pruneau d'agen Parmesan (by Meiji, a Japanese dairy company) the prune harvested under the blue sky of California!
Prospects for introducing a new GI system in Japan It is in the interests of Japan and the EU Balance between new system and existing RCTM Bureaucratic fragmentation
Thank you very much for listening ありがとうございました