15.11.2013   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 332/44

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having regard to Article 3(1)(e) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

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having regard to Article 218(2) and (10) TFEU,

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having regard to the report by Copenhagen Economics entitled ‘Assessment of barriers to trade and investment between the EU and Japan’, published on 30 November 2009,

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having regard to the joint statement adopted at the 19th EU-Japan Summit held in Tokyo on 28 April 2010,

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having regard to the results of the Commission’s public consultation on EU-Japan trade relations, published on 21 February 2011,

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having regard to the European Council conclusions of 24 and 25 March 2011,

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having regard to its resolution of 11 May 2011 on EU-Japan trade relations (1),

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having regard to the joint statement adopted at the 20th EU-Japan Summit held in Brussels on 28 May 2011,

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having regard to Rules 90(2) and 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas both the Council and the Commission have noted that Japan’s capacity to remove regulatory barriers to trade is a precondition for launching negotiations on the EU-Japan trade agreement, thus fostering closer economic integration between the two strategic trading partners;

B.

whereas at the 20th EU-Japan Summit held on 28 May 2011 in Brussels, the summit leaders decided that the two sides would start discussions with a view to defining the scope and level of ambition of such negotiations;

C.

whereas a Scoping Group has been set up to assess the shared understanding on the scope and level of ambition of the potential trade negotiations between Japan and the EU;

1.

Asks the Council not to authorise the opening of trade negotiations until Parliament has stated its position on the proposed negotiating mandate, on the basis of a report by the committee responsible;

2.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission for information.