April 12, 2022 Results of 13th Japan-EU ICT Strategy Workshop

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission held the 13th Japan-EU ICT Strategy Workshop in the form of a web conference on Friday, April 8, 2022.
The purpose of this workshop is to deepen mutual understanding among the public and private sectors of Japan and the European Union (EU) on digital policies and promote collaboration and cooperation. A wide range of agenda items related to the ICT field was taken up, and opinions were freely exchanged between the public and private sectors.
In response to the results of this workshop, Japan and the EU will continue discussion to further deepen the cooperative relationship between them.

Major achievements of the 13th Japan-EU ICT Strategy Workshop

At this (13th) strategic workshop, considering policy trends and issues from the viewpoint of industry in Japan and the EU, dialogue was held mainly on the following matters.

1. 5G and Beyond 5G (6G)

The Japanese side explained recent efforts made in the research and development of Beyond 5G, including international joint research, and the initiatives on Open RAN carried out by the public and private sectors. The EU side explained the status of Japan-EU cooperation and standardization activities and the initiatives by the private sector in the research and development of 6G technology, and the ideal form of 6G. In light of their respective explanations, Japan and the EU agreed to further promote their cooperation.

2. AI

The EU side explained the status of efforts in connection with AI regulation and AI principles and indicated the importance of cooperation on a policy level and the importance of sharing an understanding of AI. The Japanese side explained developments in discussions and future efforts on AI principles in international frameworks, such as G7 and G20, as well as the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) for which Japan will assume presidency in 2022, and also explained the initiatives for realizing human-centric AI. Both sides pointed out the importance of Japan-EU cooperation in multilateral conferences, and it was acknowledged that they will continue the exchange of views and discussions.

3. Data and DFFT (Data Free Flow with Trust)

The Japanese side explained the status of efforts in DFFT based on the international discussions thus far and the current international situation, and also explained views on data flow and regulations thereof from the standpoint of industry and the objectives to be aimed at. The EU side explained the interoperability of data infrastructure and the standard data model. Based on their respective explanations, Japan and the EU confirmed the importance of their continued collaboration in international discussions.

4. Platform

The EU side gave a presentation on the latest status of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The Japanese side explained countermeasures against illegal and harmful information, the appropriate manner of handling user information in telecommunication services, and the industry's view on platform business. Both sides agreed to continue to promote a mutual understanding of their respective policies and regulations in this area.

5. Cybersecurity

The Japanese side explained the Japan-EU cooperation, including ISAC* cooperation, and guidelines for cybersecurity. The EU side explained cooperation in information sharing and the requirements for cybersecurity regarding products and supply chains. Japan and the EU confirmed that they will continue to promote cooperation between them because of the growing importance of taking measures for cybersecurity in view of the recent international situation.

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    ISAC: Information Sharing and Analysis Center

This workshop is usually held twice a year, and Japan will host the next one in the autumn of this year.

Contact

For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

Global Strategy Division, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC

TEL: +81 3 5253 5920

FAX: +81 3 5253 5924