Ordinary meetings

The EP delegation for relations with Japan held an ordinary meeting 25 June 2026, from 9:30 to 11:00, in Brussels.

This meeting was dedicated to the preparation of the 43rd EU-Japan Inter-parliamentary meeting, scheduled on 8 and 9 July 2026 in Strasbourg. MEPs exchanged views with:

• H.E. Mr Kazutoshi AIKAWA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary - Head of the Japanese Mission to the EU
• Mr Thomas GNOCCHI, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan
• Mr Thomas FRELLESEN, Head of Division - Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, European External Action Service
• Mr Bart CASTERMANS, Deputy Head of Unit, Unit B.1 Far East (China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Mongolia, DG Trade, European Commission

The meeting was held in camera.

On 12 March 2026 the Delegation for relations with Japan held an ordinary meeting in Strasbourg. MEPs exchanged views with:

• HE Mr Kazutoshi AIKAWA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary - Head of Japanese Mission to the EU, and
• Dr Alexandra SAKAKI, Deputy head of the Asia division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs/ Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP).

The meeting was held in camera.

An ordinary meeting of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Japan took place on Wednesday, 21 January 2026 in Strasbourg. Members exchanged views on 'The new government in Japan: implications for EU-Japan relations and Japan's role in the Indo-Pacific', with:

• H.E Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the European Union to Japan
• Dr Eva Pejšová, Japan Chair of the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy of the VUB, Brussels

An ordinary meeting of the Delegation for relations with Japan (D-JP) was held on Wednesday, 22 October 2025 at 15.00-16.00 in Strasbourg.

The main topic on the agenda was an exchange of views on the results of EU-Japan summit of 23 July 2025, with:

• Mr Thomas FRELLESEN, Head of Division, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific (ASIAPAC.5), EEAS
• H.E. Mr Kazutoshi AIKAWA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Mission of Japan to the European Union

The meeting took place in camera.

An ordinary meeting of the Delegation for relations with Japan (D-JP) was held on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 at 15.00-16.00 in Strasbourg.

The meeting took place in camera.

The main topic on the agenda was the debriefing and discussion on the Japan delegation mission to the 42nd EU-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Meeting (IPM) that took place in Tokyo and Osaka on 28-30 May 2025.

An ordinary meeting of the Delegation for relations with Japan (D-JP) took place on Wednesday, 7 May 2025 at 15.00-16.30 in Strasbourg.

The meeting was held in camera.

The first part of the meeting was dedicated to an exchange of views on the state of play of EU-Japan relations with:

• Mr Roland HONEKAMP, Deputy Head of Division, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific (ASIAPAC.5), European External Action Service (EEAS)
• Mr Thorsten BEHNKE, Policy Coordinator Japan, Unit B1 (Far East), DG TRADE, European Commission

The second part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion on the draft programme of the Japan delegation to the 42nd EU-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Meeting (IPM) scheduled to take place in Tokyo and Osaka on 28-30 May 2025.

An ordinary meeting of the Delegation for relations with Japan (D-JP) was held on Wednesday, 12 March 2025 at 15.00-16.30 in Strasbourg.

The meeting was in camera.

The main topic on the agenda was an exchange of views on the EU-Japan security and defence relations with:

• Mr Cosmin Dobran, Director, Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management (PCM), European External Action Service (EEAS)
• Ms Jolanda Van Eijndthoven, Head of Unit in charge of international cooperation, European Commission, Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS)
• Ms Sophie Larder, Officer responsible for Japan, Indo-Pacific Section, Political Affairs & Security Policy Division (PASP), NATO

The first Japan Delegation meeting of the new parliamentary term took place on Wednesday, 27 November 2024 at 15.00-16.30 in Strasbourg with an exchange of views on the state of play of EU-Japan relations' with:

• Mr Thomas FRELLESEN, Head of Division, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific (ASIAPAC.5), European External Action Service (EEAS)
• Ms Marco CHIRULLO, Deputy Head of Unit, DG Trade - Unit B1 - Far East Asia (TRADE.B.1), DG TRADE, the European Commission
• H.E. Mr Kazutoshi AIKAWA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Mission of Japan to the European Union
  

The meeting was held in camera.

Delegation for relations with Japan (D-JP) held its constitutive meeting for the 10th parliamentary term (2024-2029) and elected its bureau, including a Chair and Vice-Chairs, on Thursday, 3 October 2024, at 15:00 in Brussels, in room ANTALL 6Q2, as follows:

Chair: Adam BIELAN, ECR, Poland

1st Vice-Chair: Emma WIESNER, Renew, Sweden

2nd Vice-Chair: Elżbieta Katarzyna ŁUKACIJEWSKA, EPP, Poland