ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the way in which the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) of 2018 came into being, analysing its principal ambitions and the sectoral areas of its content, before evaluating the likely benefits and challenges it poses, including a reflection on the significance of Brexit (the UK’s planned departure from the EU) for this deal. Despite the fact that it is clear that both the EU and Japan even today have other matters of importance ahead of their mutual relationship, the SPA sets out a number of areas in which potentially to deepen their cooperation. In examining a number of key areas covered by the SPA, including anti-piracy initiatives, climate change and energy security, and cybersecurity, the chapter also considers the kinds of security cooperation the EU and Japan are both willing and able to engage in. It also opens a discussion about the challenges facing the EU and Japan’s normative commitment to multilateralism.
