[Title] The European Union-Japan Security and Defence Partnership
[Preface]
1. Europe and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected and interdependent. This interdependence has geo-political, economic, and security dimensions. The European Union (EU) and Japan face an increasingly challenging and interlinked security environment as demonstrated by unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force. Japan and the EU emphasize the need to uphold and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law and the respect for the United Nations (UN) Charter.
At the same time, security is no longer limited to traditional military and defence-related topics, but encompasses an increasingly broader range of closely linked dimensions, such as cyber and hybrid threats, maritime and outer space, as well as economic security.
2. The strategic partnership between Japan and the EU is based on shared values and interests. The Japan-EU Summit (Brussels, 13 July 2023) Joint Statement recognized that the security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific are closely interlinked. It also reaffirmed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, and secure, and protects shared principles including sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. The Joint Statement called to further develop the Japan-EU security partnership, promoting increased cooperation on inter alia maritime security, cybersecurity, hybrid threats, including foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), counter-terrorism, disarmament, non-proliferation, and international peace cooperation.
3. The EU and Japan have respectively adopted important strategic documents that will guide their security and defence policies for the years to come. The EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific adopted in 2021 and the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence adopted in 2022 set out a clear vision for a more robust EU role in security and defence, with strong tailored partnerships at its core. Japan formulated its National Security Strategy in 2022, which emphasized the importance of enhancing security cooperation in order to build a multilayered network among its ally and like-minded partners, including the EU. These strategic documents confirm the strong strategic alignment between Japan and the EU.
4. In this context, both Japan and the EU will seize the momentum and opportunity to further intensify cooperation to better meet shared challenges. Therefore we will seek to further develop, deepen and strengthen our cooperation and dialogue across the whole range of security and defence topics, making use of existing frameworks, notably the Japan-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement of'17 July 2018, as well as stepping up efforts in other areas.
General Framework
5. The EU and Japan have decided to establish and implement a tailor-made, mutually beneficial Security and Defence Partnership, underpinned by a series of dialogue mechanisms to provide steering and oversight:
- Making use of the annual Japan-EU Summit and the annual Japan-EU Strategic Dialogue at foreign ministerial level (Japanese Foreign Minister with High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission) to ensure the oversight of the security and defence relationship and provide guidance as appropriate. Security and defence-related issues will be a key component of the agenda of the Japan-EU Strategic Dialogue.
- Upgrading the existing informal, regular consultations to an annual Japan-EU Security and Defence Dialogue at Director-General / Managing Director level, to discuss the broad strategic environment, thematic security and defence issues, to explore possible cooperation and, as appropriate, to prepare outcomes for ministerial level meetings.
- Building on and continuing existing thematic structured dialogues on specific domains of shared interest, including assessments of the security landscape and threats in the Indo Pacific, and exploring the establishment of thematic dialogues at Director level.
- These dialogues will report to the annual Security and Defence Dialogue.
6. The EU and Japan reaffirm the need to enhance their engagements in ensuring economic resilience and economic security globally while maintaining and improving the international rules based system and preserving an open economy.
7. The EU and Japan will explore the possibility of a Japan-EU Agreement on the Security of Information.
8. The EU and Japan will further develop their cooperation on security and defence, including exploring opportunities for coordination of capacity building and support to other partners, and using their programmes, such as the EU-funded Critical Maritime Routes in the Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO), and ‘Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia’ (ESIWA) projects.
9. The EU and Japan will cooperate in multilateral fora, including with other like-minded partners in relevant areas.
Specific Areas of Cooperation
10. In addition to discussing respective developments in security and defence policies and relevant regional security as well as strategic and geopolitical issues in order to better align each other’s policy, Japan and the EU will hold targeted dialogues and boost cooperation in areas such as:
Maritime Security, including operations and exercises
11. The EU and Japan will deepen exchanges on maritime security, aiming at promoting an open and rules-based maritime regional security architecture, including secure sea lines of communication and freedoms of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law, in particular United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
12. The EU and Japan will enhance cooperation in the areas such as:
- promoting concrete naval cooperation, including through the Administrative Arrangement between the EU’s Naval Force Atalanta (EUNAVFOR Atalanta) and the Japanese Self Defense Forces (Joint Staff).
- developing cooperation on maritime security through activities (such as joint exercises, port calls, among others), including with the participation of mutually designated third countries, on a case by case basis.
- exploring cooperation in the framework of the EU’s Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) initiative, notably in the Northwest Indian Ocean
- exploring possible cooperation on maritime capacity building of third countries in Indo Pacific region.
Space security and defence
13. The EU and Japan will explore the possibility of expanding the existing EU-Japan Space Policy Dialogue to include matters related to space security.
14. The EU and Japan will promote coordination of external engagement in multilateral/plurilateral (including at the United Nations) and bilateral fora, notably to jointly promote norms, rules and principles of responsible behavior in outer space. In this regard, Japan and the EU will contribute to a joint panel discussion of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) and the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) to address possible challenges to space security and sustainability.
Cyber issues
15. The EU and Japan will deepen the existing Japan-EU Cyber Dialogue, including by enhancing regular exchanges on the cyber security threat landscape, respective approaches and practical cooperative efforts to coordinate diplomatic responses to malicious cyber activities, as well as by coordination and alignment of cyber capacity building efforts.
16. The EU and Japan will continue to coordinate and cooperate at multilateral, regional and bilateral levels, notably on the promotion of the UN framework for responsible State behavior in cyberspace and the establishment of the UN Programme of Action (PoA) to this end, as well as on the development and implementation of cyber confidence building measures in the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Hybrid threats, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)
17. The EU and Japan will deepen research and study on hybrid threats, including through close cooperation between academic institutions, think tanks and centers of excellence on both sides. Japan and the EU welcome the establishment of the Strategic Communications Education and Research Unit (SCERU) in the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP) at the University of Tokyo, with EU-funded ESIWA's support, and will explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation with the Unit.
18. The EU and Japan will share best practices in developing strategies and policies including diplomatic responses to hybrid threats and will participate in exercises organised by both sides as appropriate.
19. The EU and Japan will proactively share information on threat assessment regarding foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) such as malign influence operations through bilateral exchanges, and explore the possibility for coordination and operational cooperation.
Non-Proliferation, Disarmament, conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons
20. The EU and Japan will deepen consultations on non-proliferation, disarmament, conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons, in light of the Japan-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement.
21. The EU and Japan will promote shared awareness on key issues related to disarmament and non- proliferation, bearing Japan’s Hiroshima Action Plan and the G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament (2023) in mind.
22. The EU and Japan will promote coordination in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and other key multilateral instruments, as well as export control regimes.
23. The EU and Japan will promote enhanced dialogue among nuclear-weapon States towards future possible nuclear arms control framework.
The EU and Japan defence initiatives, including exchange of information on defence industrial related matters
24. The EU and Japan will conduct consultations on the development of respective defence initiatives including exchange of information on defence industry-related matters. Japan and the EU will explore possible mutual involvement in respective defence initiatives in line with the respective processes.
Peace, conflict prevention and crisis management
25. The EU and Japan will explore possible areas of cooperation on peacekeeping, conflict prevention and crisis management, such as exchanges on mediation and sharing of best practices, cooperation in the field of CSDP, joint support to third states, and joint exercises and training, among others.
26. The EU and Japan will enhance their coordination on shared priorities in peace, conflict prevention and crisis management in multilateral fora, including UN bodies. Japan and the EU will exchange on respective contributions and support to UN Peacekeeping Operations.
Counter-terrorism (CT), preventing/counterinq violent extremism (P/CVE)
27. The EU and Japan will explore the potential for cooperation on CT related matters by designing activities for greater interaction between CT-P/CVE agencies, such as addressing the online dimension of radicalisation or the community policing approach to countering violent extremism.
28. The EU and Japan will promote coordination in multilateral and regional fora such as the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Women Peace and Security
29. The EU and Japan are committed to the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, which consists of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and its follow-up resolutions, and will ensure that gender equality is integrated in their areas of cooperation on security and defence.
30. Therefore, the EU and Japan will exchange good practices on implementing women, peace and security commitments, and continue close collaboration to ensure gender equality as a political and security related priority and with an aim to reinforce joint responses to current and emerging security and geopolitical shifts.
Way Forward
31. The areas identified in the Security and Defence Partnership will be reviewed regularly in the framework of the Japan-EU Security and Defence Dialogue (Director-General/ Managing Director level), which will take stock of progress made, give further impetus, and report to the annual Japan-EU Strategic dialogue at foreign ministerial level, as well as to the Summit, with a view to exploring ways to further strengthen and develop the cooperation.
32. The content of the Security and Defence Partnership will be reviewed as appropriate.
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