By Martin Banks - 17th May 2011
This contrasts sharply with our relationship with the US which looks at the bigger picture
Norio Maruyama
A senior Japanese diplomat has voiced reservations about the EU's approach to a possible free trade agreement (FTA) with his country.
Norio Maruyama has also urged the EU to adopt a "more nuanced" way of dealing with trade issues between the two sides.
Maruyama, who is responsible for political affairs at Japan's mission to the EU, was speaking to this website ahead of the eagerly-awaited summit between the EU and Japan at the end of this month.
He said that while Japan had been 'transparent' in its negotiations about a possible FTA, the EU had been more cagey.
"We are being asked to 'show our cards' at every turn but this is not being reciprocated by the EU," he said. "Having said that, I am quietly confident there will be progress on the FTA issue at this month's summit."
He also said, "There should be far more to trade relations between us than tariffs and non-tariffs. The EU's approach seems to be very economy-driven but you have to look at other issues.
"This contrasts sharply with our relationship with the US which looks at the bigger picture.
"The US looks at Japan not just as a trade partner but, currently, the EU does not seem to have this vision."
He added, "The EU is undoubtedly an economic giant but if it also wants to become a political giant it too needs to look at the broader picture, not just trade issues."
Failure to adopt such an approach, he said, threatened to "damage" the EU-Japan relationship.
He said Japan is "very keen" to start negotiations on a trade agreement and hopes that this month's summit will "provide a clear signal" that its aspirations are shared by the EU.
Maruyama, who took up his post two months ago, said the EU and Japan faced "common challenges" in the world, including security issues in places like Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Kazuyuki Shimamura, who is first secretary at the mission for food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said, "Japan has implemented stringent domestic measures to prohibit the feed and food that exceed the standards of radioactivity from distribution to the market.
"Therefore, even though there are samples detected that exceed the standards, the exportation of the samples to the EU market is legally prohibited and is, if any, far below the level of the detection of the samples.
"The level of the detection shows the good implementation of Japan’s domestic systems and safeguards.Considering the samples examined by EU authorities in the EU market, until the present time no sample of over hundreds of examination has been detected that exceed the standards."
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