Council Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 26, 2003; Europa House, 6th Floor

8:30-10:30 am

1. Comments from M. Reiterer (Minister, EC Delegation in Japan)

1. Visits from EC:
   Comissioner Monti attended a symposium on Competition Policy and attended talks with the FTC in Tokyo earlier this month.
   Commissioner Pasque (Research & Development) will be here at the beginning of December for a dialogue on S&T agreement.

2. Regulatory Reform Dialogue:
   Held November 14th. Main points of discussion: investment, regulatory reform, taxation, transparency, government procurement, financial services (additional expert level meeting scheduled for first three months of 2004), transportation, telecommunications, standards, food, postal corporation, press rights. (Note: full text of EU proposals to Japan available on EC Delegation web-site).

3. EU-Japan Year of People to People Exchanges (2005)
   Documentation provided separately. Commission looking for ideas from private sector and suggestions/comments/offers of support welcome.

2. White Paper Report

Press clippings provided separately. Launch well supported, with over 280 participants and attendance of many high level dignitaries, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Fujisaki). Cost of launch to be covered by project sponsorships as door intake did not cover expenses (though better than last year). Sponsorship covered all white paper-related costs, including the required subsidy for the luncheon). Distribution of orders on-going. White Paper will be sent to all EBC government contacts - if chambers/committees/etc. would like the EBC to send to their contacts, please let Secretariat know. Also, if chambers would like copies for their board members, please let Secretariat know. Follow-up via high-level door knock being planned for early next year.

3. First meeting dates of EOB and Council for 2004:

EOB - Feb.24th (Tuesday)
Council - Feb.26th (Thursday)

Other dates to be decided.

4. Report from Policy Director

1. MPHPT has given permission to the Postal Corp to market a new insurance product, despite vehement opposition from private insurance companies (including lobbying from the EBC Insurance Committee) and the governments of the EU and the US.

2. Loss carry forwards likely to be extended from 5 years to 7 years

3. EBC Animal Health Committee has its annual roundtable with MAFF this afternoon.

5. Report from the Chairman

1. Nov. 18th Meeting with new EU Member States
   EBCChairman made a presentation to 7 of 10 new member states with representation in Japan, though very few have a commercial presence (none has a chamber of commerce). Countries present were Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Lithuania, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, and Estonia (Latvia, Cyprus and Malta do not have embassies in Japan). While all were enthusiastic about the EBC concept, many pointed out that they would be unable to fund the EBC, even at a nominal amount. There was general acceptance that it was important to somehow include the "new" member states in some form in order to present a pan-European face to the EBC. The question of contribution to be discussed further. The idea of having existing chambers "big-brother" companies from the new member states was discussed.

2. Nov. 18th Meeting with Nikkei and Ambassador Zepter
   Nikkei enthusiastic about holding symposium, so long as high-level participation can be secured. Idea to build this around the EU Japan Summit (to be held at the end of June) and the EU Japan Business Dialogue Roundtable to create synergy effect.

3. Dec. 19th Cocktail Party at home of R. Collasse
   All EBC Council members, EOB, Committee Chairmen, Ambassadors, and key Japanese guests invited.

4. Trip to Brussels/Luxembourg/Paris/Netherlands next week
   Wirlwind tour to take in the Dejima Award in the Netherlands, weekend with Prof. Shimada (special advisor to the PM on investment issues) at Chanel Chateau in France, participation at EU sponsored symposium on the "Japan Paradox", seminar in Luxembourg on Japan, and participation in a joint JETRO/French Government sponsored investment promotion seminar in Paris. Chairman also noted he had been invited to Ireland in January to talk to the Irish Government about Japan.

6. Reaffirmation of EBC Chairman and EOBs:
Chairman Richard Collasse reaffirmed for 2004. EOB representatives as per handout.

7. Discussion and voting on proposed resolution:
Items 1 and 2 concerning voting parameters postponed.

Item 3 concerning the increase in EBC Committee membership fees passed. Accordingly, the EBC committee membership fee will be increased from 50,000 yen to 80,000 yen (membership of additional committees to remain at 50,000 yen per committee).
Voting particulars as follows:

Result of Voting on Increasing the EBC Committee Membership Fee
("-" means not present nor proxy vote received)

Organisation	Yes	No	Vote weighting
ABC		X	2.9%
BLCCJ	X		3.3%
BCCJ	X		13.3%
CCIFJ			21.2%
DCCJ	X		4.2%
DIHJ	X		21.2%
FCCJ	X		2.9%
EI	-	-
ICCJ (Iceland)	-	-
ICCJ (Italy)	-	-
NCCJ (Neth)		X	6.7%
NCCJ (Norw)	X		1.2%
SCCJ	X		5.9%
SCCIJ	-	-
Spain	-	-
Portugal	-	-
Greece	Abstained	Abstained

8. Withdrawal of Portugal

Portugal has made verbal indication that they will be unable to continue paying the 300,000-yen membership fee and will therefore withdraw from the EBC after only one year. Those present indicated that it was important that Portugal somehow still be associated with the EBC, though frustration was also noted at the inability of Portugal to pay even the nominal fee. It was noted that the decision may have been linked to a change of staff at the Portuguese Commercial Office in Japan (which represented Portugal on the EBC Board). Further inquires will be made.

9. DaimlerChrysler Cup Report

Provided separately. Note: the organizing committee is planning to change the date of the event next year, and asks all European chambers to provide information on when they hold their own golf days so that a day can be chosen that does not conflict. These details can be sent to the organizing committee c/o the EBC Secretariat.

10. Any other business: None.