EU-Japan EPA Conference 2020
The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) entered into force on 1 February 2019. After some time has lapsed, the conference will shed light on the first experiences and on outlining future-oriented perspectives for deepening the bilateral economic cooperation between Japan and the EU further. One issue for the discussion will be what impact the current COVID-19 pandemic may have.
The conference is organised by the Institute of East Asian Studies IN-EAST at the University of Duisburg-Essen with support from the Consulate General of Japan in Düsseldorf and other partners. It is split between a more academically focused workshop on November 10 and a symposium for a wider audience on November 19.
The Research Workshop will take up a number of analytical aspects. It is divided into two sections, with contributions from renowned experts. Part 1 will deal with analytical issues of the bilateral EPA itself. Part 2 will cover future options. As the time is limited, this part will focus on one aspect in particular, namely the potential of the EU-Japan Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure signed in September 2019. Key take away-messages of the workshop will be used as input for the symposium.
The Symposium shall be concerned with a stock-taking of the EU-Japan EPA and outlining future options. The core contribution will be a panel discussion with renowned representatives of stakeholders in government and business. Two eminent scholars will provide focussed input statements, and the results of the preceding research workshop will be introduced.