The European Union is to tell Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday that Brussels is broadly satisfied with Japan's progress in negotiations toward an ambitious free trade deal, likely allowing talks to continue, according to EU documents.
On the eve of Abe's visit to Brussels, one EU document shows that Japan has complied with, or is in the process of complying with, the majority of its commitments to help reach a trade pact that could encompass a third of global economic output.
Doubtful of Tokyo's willingness to bring down barriers to European exports, EU trade negotiators were told to pull the plug on talks, which began in April 2013, after a year if Japan did not show sufficient progress in areas from food to cars.