Japan

The EU and Japan have a well-developed energy dialogue in which they discuss topics like gas and energy security, liquefied natural gas (LNG), electricity market design, energy technologies and nuclear energy. Both sides have set the long-term ambition of being climate-neutral by 2050, and closer cooperation on hydrogen and offshore wind is now being implemented. 

Within the framework of the dialogue, European and Japanese experts and energy business stakeholders also meet to discuss energy issues. Several EU-Japan workshops have been organised, for example on hydrogen and wind energy, and on the global LNG market on 25 March 2022.

The EU and Japan frequently have meetings at senior level on electricity market regulation and on developments in the gas market. In this context, they share a Memorandum of Cooperation on promoting and establishing a liquid, flexible and transparent global LNG market. To implement this memorandum, which was signed on 11 July 2017, the European Commission and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry co-organise a series of international workshops on key drivers.

At the EU-Japan Summit in May 2021, the EU-Japan Green Alliance was adopted. It puts a particular focus on hydrogen, offshore wind and power market reforms to enhance renewables integration and international cooperation on investments in renewable energy.

On 2 December 2022, the EU and Japan intensified their cooperation on hydrogen with the signature of a Memorandum of Cooperation to spur innovation and develop an international hydrogen market. As frontrunners in hydrogen technology, the EU and Japan will work together for sustainable and affordable production, trade, transport, storage, distribution and use of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.

As two of the largest importers of LNG, on 18 July 2023 the EU and Japan agreed to establish an energy security dialogue on global LNG architecture, in order to step up cooperation and develop secure and transparent global markets, while reducing methane emissions in line with the Global Methane Pledge.

• Liquefied Natural Gas
• EU-Japan relations (European External Action Service)
• Delegation of the EU to Japan
• News: EU and Japan to reinforce energy cooperation through a dedicated dialogue on global LNG architecture (18/07/2023)
• News: The EU and Japan underline close cooperation on energy issues (25/03/2022)