Economisch en Sociaal Comité gaat met sociale partners in debat over relatie EU en Japan (en)

CES/10/63

27 May 2010

As the Action Plan which frames the relationship between the EU and Japan, expires in 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will bring together civil society organisations, academia, government and EU officials on 28 May to broach the challenging issue of the future shape of cooperation.

This workshop, organised by the EESC's Section for External Relations, in association with the EU Institute in Kansai and EU Studies Institute in Tokyo, is the third in a series of meetings between major stakeholders from Europe and Japan. Aimed primarily at discussing the future shape of EU-Japan relations and the role of civil society within it, the meeting will additionally host discussions on ways of reconciling economic growth and sustainable jobs creation.

The event on Friday will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be opened by Mr Sandy BOYLE, Vice-President of the External Relations Section of the EESC and H. E Nobutake ODANO, Ambassador of Japan to the EU. Panellists will include experts from Japanese universities, the European institutions, the Japanese Mission to the EU and EESC members, among them, Eve Päärendson, (Group of Employers, Estonia), President of the EESC Contact Group on Japan.

Whilst welcoming the general conclusions of the last EU-Japan summit held a month ago, which stressed the need for closer and more intensive cooperation, the EESC deplores the fact that the role of civil society in bilateral relations was not adequately reflected. By means of this workshop, the EESC will demonstrate the contribution of civil society when addressing global and societal challenges and discuss ways of strengthening civil society links between EU and Japan.

Venue: European Economic and Social Committee, Jacques Delors building, 99-

101 rue Belliard, room JDE 62, 1040 Brussels.

To find out more, go to: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/sections/rex/asia/japan/index_en.asp?id=6330rexen