Brussels, 18 September 2025
From 19 to 22 September, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, will be in Japan to reaffirm the strong bilateral partnership and launch the EU-Japan Working Group on circular economy. As highlighted by President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union speech and in the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act, the EU is working to create a more circular and resilience economy. Global cooperation is crucial to make this a reality.
On Friday, the Commissioner will start her visit in Tokyo with meetings with the Japanese Minister of the Environment, Keiichiro Asao, and the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Shinjiro Koizumi. They will discuss how to deepen EU-Japan cooperation on the environment. Commissioner Roswall will also participate in the Green Alliance roundtable discussion on circular economy, and give a lecture at the Circular Futures Design Centre of the Shizenkan University. During these events, she will set out the EU’s priorities on circular economy and kick off the launch of a dedicated EU-Japan Working Group.
On Sunday, Commissioner Roswall will be in Kameoka-zero plastic town, a Japanese city aiming to achieve the goal of zero disposable plastic waste by 2030. During the visit, she will meet the Mayor of Kameoka, Katsuragawa Takahiro. She will also visit HOZUBAG, a company that upcycles used paragliders into unique, eco-friendly bags.
On Monday, Commissioner Roswall will be at the World Expo in Osaka. As part of the Circular Economy Days, she will participate in an event on the environmental impact of textiles, discussing global solutions to textile pollution. She will then take part in an event on green cities and the New European Bauhaus (NEB), where she will highlight the role of water resilience in making cities greener and more resilient. She will also underline the EU’s intention to initiate a dialogue on the launch of a NEB Academy Hub in Japan and a country-specific NEB Prize for Japanese projects.
Finally, the Commissioner will take part in a high-level discussion on circular diplomacy, exchanging on how a truly circular, resilient and just economy requires global cooperation and shared leadership.
Source – EU Commission