[ad_1]
The European Union and the Japan signed on Tuesday, July 17 in Tokyo a vast free trade agreement which is a "strong message against protectionism" of Donald Trump
" An extremely ambitious trade agreement between two of the world's largest economies," said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk, who hailed in a statement a "historic day."
The name of Donald Trump was never uttered at this joint press conference. But the three leaders insisted at length on their role as flag-bearers of free trade, at the moment when the American president raised the threat of a trade war.
A third of world GDP
Baptized Jefta (Japan-EU free trade agreement), the most important pact ever negotiated by the EU, covers a free trade area covering almost a third of the world's gross domestic product and more than 600 million people
On the European side, the agri-food sector is a big winner in the discussions. In the end, 85% of agri-food products in the EU will be able to enter Japan without customs duties, but sometimes at the end of transition periods. Others, like beef, will see the taxes imposed gradually reduced. Rice, a highly symbolic product for the Japanese, is excluded from the agreement.
Tokyo is committed to recognizing more than 200 geographical indications such as Roquefort, Austrian Tiroler Speck, Belgian Ardennes Ham or Polska Wódka (Polish vodka), which will enjoy "the same level of protection as in Europe."
The Japanese obtain on their side a free access to the European market for their automobile industry, but only at the end of a period transient of several years.
An agreement "climaticide"
For the Foundation for the nature and the Man (FNH, ex-Foundation Hulot) and the Veblen Institute, two ONG, this agreement Free Trade is the "biggest trade agreement climaticide ever signed". "A few months after the entry into force of Ceta (signed with Canada), the EU has signed a new climaticide agreement". And this, "in the general indifference", the two NGOs rebuked in a statement.
The two organizations blame the French government, whom they accuse of "disavowing its promises" of commercial agreements compatible with the Paris Agreement '"adopted at the end of 2015 against global warming
Several" structuring points "of the Jefta agreement go against commitments made against global warming, they stress, regretting that" as in the Ceta , the only chapters that are not binding are those dealing with sustainable development. "
Yannick Jadot, vice-president of the international trade commission and head of the European EELV list of 2019, also criticized Jefta the day before its ratification. He wrote:
"The chapter on Sustainable Development is even weaker than that of Ceta, and our concerns also include provisions on financial services that are inconsistent with post-financial regulation and public services. lacking adequate protection. "
The text must be submitted by the end of the year to the European Parliament for entry into force in 2019, if the Japanese Parliament votes on it too soon. [19659004] AR (with AFP)
[ad_2]
Source link
