The EU and Japan have convened for their second Digital Partnership Council in Brussels, with a key aspect of their discussions being digital identity—as indicated by a newly signed Memorandum of Cooperation on digital identities and trust services.
The agreement aims to foster a mutual understanding of digital identity initiatives between the EU and Japan, potentially transforming e-commerce and business operations by simplifying procedures and increasing efficiency. It’s poised to facilitate the free flow of data with trust by leveraging cooperation and use cases based on the EU Digital Identity Wallet and related trust services.
The signatories expect this framework to be showcased as a “joint best practice” at the upcoming OECD Ministerial meeting, highlighting its significance in international digital economy discussions.
Apart from digital IDs, the council meeting also covered advancements in other technological areas such as AI, 5G/6G, semiconductors, high-performance computing (HPC), and quantum technology. Both regions agreed on the importance of these technologies in driving forward their digital economies. They agreed to initiatives including setting up an expert team on semiconductors, launching collaborative research projects on 6G, and exploring joint projects in quantum computing applications.
“Together, we are advancing interoperability and cooperation on digital identity, data, emerging technologies, semiconductors, AI and online platforms,” said Thierry Breton, the EU’s Commissioner for Internal Market.
The partnership not only enhances the technological ties between the EU and Japan but also supports broader international cooperation standards, evident in their plans to continue collaborations on submarine cables, cybersecurity, and AI governance. The next council meeting is scheduled for 2025 in Tokyo, underscoring an ongoing commitment to the EU-Japan strategic digital alliance.
Source: European Commission
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May 1, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy
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