The EU and Japan have held their second Digital Partnership Council in Brussels, promoting their vision for a digital transformation that respects fundamental rights.
The Digital Partnership Council was co-chaired by Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and by Japanese Minister for Digital Transformation, Taro Kono, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, Takeaki Matsumoto, and the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Taku Ishii.
The EU and Japan welcomed the implementation of the Digital Partnership and reviewed the progress achieved since the first Digital Partnership Council in 2023.
The partners agreed on a list of new deliverables to cooperate on important digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, 6G, semiconductors, high-performance computing (HPC) and quantum technology, submarine cables, eID, and cybersecurity.
Memorandum of Cooperation
At the second Digital Partnership Council, the EU and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on digital identities and trust services.
The Memorandum will facilitate data free flow with trust through cooperation and use cases on the basis of the EU Digital Identity Wallet.
It is expected to be presented as a joint best practice at the next OECD Ministerial meeting on 2 and 3 May 2024.
In line with the Memorandum of Cooperation on submarine cables for sustainable global connectivity signed on 3 July 2023, the EU and Japan reconfirmed the importance of deploying resilient submarine cable infrastructures.
The partners will continue to develop direct connectivity links between Europe and Japan to promote commercial opportunities and oceanographic research.
Collaborative research projects for a digital transformation
The EU and Japan confirmed that they will continue their collaboration on high-performance computing and have identified hybrid Quantum-HPC applications and use cases for further work.
Cooperation on basic research in quantum and joint cybersecurity projects was also discussed at the Council.
The EU and Japan have launched collaborative 6G research projects and intend to support global standardisation initiatives, which are crucial for developing 6G technologies.
The partners reaffirmed their shared vision for open and resilient networks at the council.
Shaping a trustworthy AI global governance
In addition, the partners announced their intention to enhance cooperation between the EU AI Office and Japan’s AI Safety Institute. The G7 Hiroshima AI Process and Code of Conduct will continue to be supported to shape AI global governance.
The EU encouraged Japanese companies to participate in the AI Pact launched by the Commission. Japanese participation will help foster early compliance with key provisions of the AI Act on a voluntary basis before it enters into force.
The next Digital Partnership Council is set to be held in 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.
