European Business Council in Japan

The European Business Council in Japan (EBC) is the trade policy arm of 15 European National Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations in Japan and has been working to improve the trade and investment environment for European companies in Japan since 1972, the first European EBO to be founded. The EBC was registered with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2008 as the European (EU) Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

The core mission of the EBC then and now is to promote an impediment-free business and investment environment that will make it less difficult and costly to do business in Japan. (Link)

The advantages to Japan are obvious – an impediment-free market serves then as a catalyst for global trade liberalisation and prosperity. Unified markets are needed to create a business environment which will stimulate innovation and economic growth, more investment and create new jobs.

Japan’s decade-long economic slump, globalisation, regulatory reform, and aging population have been slowly forcing welcome changes in the Japanese market. European companies now have greater opportunities for direct investment, strategic alliances, and other tie-ups than at any other time. Accordingly, the EBC’s work to encourage beneficial structural and regulatory changes has become more important, not only for European companies doing business here, but for Japanese industry and consumers as well.

The EBC has an important engagement with the local authorities, with more than 50 government meetings in 2023. The EBC has a strong engagement with the EU Delegation.

Publications

The EBC Japan publishes several publications:

White Papers: Published every November.
- Digital publication started in 2021. 25 in total. (Link)
- White Paper is called ‘United in a changing world’ (Link)
Statements. 1-5 in 2022. 21 in total. (Link)
Issues: In this innovative page, each sectorial committee lists a few current issues they are working on, along with a marker (new, progress, no/some/good progress, resolved), and a detailed explanation for each one. (Link)
Eurobiz: A high-quality monthly magazine. 114 in total. (Link).
5 Surveys: Example: Impact of Entry Restrictions (Link).
Newsletter (weekly): 110 in total. (Link)
News
EBC in the Media (Link).

Services

The EBC (European Business Council) does not provide traditional bilateral chamber services such as business match making and business delegations. However, recognising the challenges faced by foreign companies operating in Japan due to specific standards and regulations that may not be prioritised by relevant committees, the EBC offers its expertise and services for a fee to both its members and non-members.

To respect the jurisdiction of national chambers, the EBC focuses solely on tasks directly related to regulatory and specific issues concerning a particular company's product or products. Leveraging its extensive experience in Japan's technical regulations and its well-established network with lawmakers and government officials across Japanese ministries, the EBC provides assistance in areas such as approval procedures, standards, targeted lobbying, and facilitating meetings with government officials.

Membership Benefits

Membership and sponsorship benefits: (Link) The EBC offers member companies an opportunity to:

Influence the issues addressed in political forums such as the EU-Japan Summit and the EU-Japan bilateral FTA/EPA negotiations.
Share information on the market and business environment with colleagues in your sector
Liaise with the Japanese Government and various regulatory agencies from a neutral position behind the banner of the EBC, meet with EU officials visiting Japan
Promote European businesses in Japan.
Be a proactive part of change.

Advocacy

Committees: 22 committees organised in 6 groups, with 200 participating companies (Link):

Business Fundamentals (Human Resources, Intellectual Property Rights, Legal Services, Retail & Wholesale, Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Tax)
Financial Services (Asset Management, Banking Insurance)
Transportation & Communications (Airlines, Logistics & Freight, Railways, Telecommunications Equipment)
Health Science (Cosmetics & Quasi-drugs, Medical Equipment & IVD (In Vitro Diagnostics),)
Consumer Goods (Food & Agriculture, Liquor)
Industry (Aeronautics, Automobile, Automotive Components & Aftermarket, Defense & Security, Energy, Materials, Space)

In general, EBC Committees perform a combination of the following functions:

Identifying obstacles facing European companies doing business in Japan in their sector,
Promoting European interests in a particular issue area,
Liaising with relevant Government Ministries and other industry groups,
Responding to requests from the EBC Secretariat, the media, government representatives, and other organisations for information on the public policy work of European businesses in Japan,
Discuss regulatory developments and issues of common concern,
Visiting Japanese government officials, write position papers and engage in media campaigns, when necessary,
Providing briefings on the current state of their specific business sector for visiting European Commission officials and various European industry representatives,
- Giving presentations to governmental bodies and political parties upon request,
- Holding symposiums, briefings, lectures and other events,
- Contributing one chapter to the annual white paper,
- Exchanging sector-specific information,
- Working closely with the EC commission and member state Embassy personnel to put the regulatory concerns also on their agenda, and
- Liaising with the EBC office to ensure that committee issues are inserted into the general lobbying activities.