On 21 May in Brussels took place the third meeting of the EU-Japan Industrial Dialogue on Railways, organised by the European Commission and the Japanese government.
UNIFE stressed that the third Industrial Dialogue meeting was an opportunity to draw negotiators’ attention to the major obstacles to European access to the Japanese rail market. During discussions on procurement, UNIFE and its members called upon the Japanese government to ensure a transparent and open procurement system for rail entities. UNIFE asserts that if a true level playing field were to exist between the rail markets, EU rail suppliers could expect to be considered and have a fair chance to win major contracts with the Japanese railway undertakings, as Japanese suppliers have been awarded major contracts in the EU. UNIFE also made concrete recommendations for improvements in procurement procedures and information available to EU companies. The technical discussions on signalling allowed for a better mutual understanding of both railway systems in a market segment with particular potential for the EU rail industry.
“The third meeting of the Industrial Dialogue enabled stakeholders to take stock of the progress made in the rail sector, but more importantly, to chart the way forward and acknowledge what must be achieved by the end of the FTA negotiations. UNIFE has high expectations with respect to market access coverage, the Operational Safety Clause and regulatory cooperation, and calls for a comprehensive agreement on rail to achieve a true level playing field between the European and Japanese rail markets,” UNIFE Director General, Philippe Citroen, stated.
CER reiterated the support of the European rail operators and infrastructure mangers for an EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement that facilitates business opportunities for all market players. During the discussions CER described the existing European technical regulations and safety standards, in particular in relation to signalling systems.
“CER commends the aim of the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement to facilitate trade and business opportunities between all market players in the railway sector. European rail operators have a long history of cooperation with Japanese operators, which includes sharing best practices, but also the provision of services by CER members such as feasibility studies and staff training. I am convinced that a fair FTA will bring further business opportunities for the European railway undertakings,” CER Executive Director, Libor Lochman, said.
“Despite the considerable size of the European and Japanese railway markets, bilateral trade in the sector remains limited in volume, with much untapped potential. Today’s dialogue took stock of respective achievements to date and outlined outstanding issues, especially improving market access and technical harmonization on both sides,” JR East writes.
“The company (JR East) has implemented a number of measures to introduce excellent technologies and products from Europe. This has also enabled JR East to maintain and develop good relations with EU suppliers. JR East is committed to increasing and deepening communication, through for example the future “JR East Supplier Days” and other stakeholder events,” JR East Executive Director, Yuji Morimoto said.
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