The European Commission delegation was led by Zoran Stancic, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology (DG CNECT), while the Japanese delegation was headed by Vice-Minister Yasuo Sakamoto from the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications (MIC). Officials from DG CNECT and MIC also attended this meeting.
Participants discussed the following topics:
- ICT Policy: Participants exchanged views on recent and upcoming policy activities in the EU and Japan. They also reported on the output of the 23rd March workshop on ICT strategies.
- Internet Governance: Participants discussed issues of global policy coordination on Internet governance for international discussion such as the World Summit on the Information Society.
- Regulatory framework: Participants discussed the evolution of the EU's regulatory framework for electronic communications and Japan’s regulatory reform on competition rules, consumer protection and access to the services market.
- Safer Internet environment for children: Participants recognized the importance of promoting a safer Internet environment for children and to continue cooperation in other fora beyond the EU-Japan ICT Dialogue like the Safer Internet Day or the network of hotlines.
- Cooperation on research and development in the area of ICT: Participants shared the updates of their policies on ICT R&D. They reviewed the 2 running EU-Japan Coordinated Calls that cover sectors like optical & wireless communications, big data, cloud computing and discussed preparation of the third Coordinated Call.
- Response to active and healthy ageing society: Participants both acknowledged the importance of making the most of ICT for achieving an active and healthy ageing society, and discussed the preparation of the coordinated call.
- User information and privacy policy on ICT services: Participants discussed the cooperation on cyber security and concurred that they will continuously share information and exchange best practices.
- 5G: Participants welcome the signature on 25th March 2015 in Frankfurt of the 5G Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Japanese industry. They also discussed the signature of the EU-Japan 5G Joint Declaration that should take place as soon as possible.
Building on this meeting, EU-Japan links will be further strengthened with the forthcoming signature of the 5G Joint Declaration, the preparation of the EU-Japan Business Round Table that will take place on 28th April in Brussels and the EU-Japan Summit.