The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is preparing a new "communication" policy report on relations with Japan to replace one adopted by the 15 union nations nearly two years ago, Japanese government officials said Apr. 3.
The officials, who requested anonymity, said the report will serve as a basic guideline in the EU's implementation of trade and other policies toward Japan for at least the next two years. A meeting of the EU foreign ministers this summer is expected to approve the report.
Though the commission informally notified Tokyo of its work, it did not divulge the contents except to say that the basic policy direction of the former communication remains unchanged, the officials said. The new communication appears likely to emphasize the need for more use of the World Trade Organization, a Geneva-based watchdog on international commerce that succeeded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on Jan. 1, 1995, to resolve bilateral economic and trade disputes.