Japan Open Café: Improving trade between EU & Japan

The EU and Japan came to a broad agreement for the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement this past summer. It is intended to remove barriers on trade between both sides and will affect global trade in many ways. The agreement has been in development for years, but in light of events such as Brexit and the US’ withdrawal from the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) seems now all the more significant. What will the agreement do, and what will the impact be for Dutch-Japanese trade relations and individual businesses?

Two speakers will provide their views on these questions.

About the speakers

Our first confirmed speaker is Marc Gerritsen. He is the head of the Strategic Advice Unit of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2014 up to the summer of 2017 Marc was based in Tokyo as head of Economic Affairs of the Dutch embassy in Japan. In this role he organized various trade missions to Japan, such as during the Dutch state visit in 2014 and during the visit of prime minister Mark Rutte in 2015. Previously, he held different positions in The Hague (such as part of the organization of the Nuclear Security Summit and at the Ministry of General Affairs) and abroad (a.o. in Rome and Ramallah). With his experience in Tokyo he is uniquely placed to share with us his insights about the newly agreed Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the European Union.

Our second speaker will be announced as soon as possible.

For more detailed information about the speakers and updates about the programme, please follow our Facebook-event page, where you can also register your attendance or share the event with your friends and colleagues. The event takes place at the Koorenhuis in the city center (close to Grote Markt).

  • When: Wednesday, November 29
  • Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm (speakers will start around 7:30pm)
  • Where: Koorenhuis, Prinsegracht 27, Den Haag
  • What: Informal networking with two short presentations and Q&A
  • Who: Anyone with a (business) interest in Japan

About the Japan Open Café

The Japan Open Café welcomes everybody with an interest in Japan! Our goal is to establish an informal platform for people who occupy themselves with Japan in any way, whether for business or out of personal interest. We wish to provide the opportunity to connect, share knowledge, and discuss ideas with individuals from different fields and various backgrounds.