6. On request of a Party or on referral from a relevant specialised committee, the Joint Committee may address matters that have not been resolved by the relevant specialised committee.
7. Each specialised committee shall inform the Joint Committee of the schedules and agenda of its meetings sufficiently in advance and shall report to the Joint Committee on results and conclusions from each of its meetings.
8. The existence of a specialised committee shall not prevent a Party from bringing any matter directly to the Joint Committee.
Article 23.4. Working Groups
1. The Working Group on Wine and the Working Group on Motor Vehicles and Parts are hereby established under the auspices of the Committee on Trade in Goods. The responsibilities and functions of these working groups are defined in Article 2.34 and Article 20 of Annex 2-C.
2. The following working groups are hereby established under the auspices of the Joint Committee:
(a) the Working Group on Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture, the responsibilities and functions of which are defined in Article 19.5; and
(b) the Working Group on Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment, the responsibilities of which are defined in Article 21.3.
3. The following working groups may be established in accordance with relevant Chapters:
(a) ad hoc working groups under the auspices of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures;
(b) ad hoc technical working groups under the auspices of the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade;
(c) ad hoc working groups under the auspices of the Committee on Regulatory Cooperation; and
(d) an Animal Welfare Technical Working Group under the auspices of the Joint Committee.
4. Unless otherwise provided for in this Agreement or unless otherwise agreed by the representatives of the Parties to the working groups, the working groups shall:
(a) meet once a year, or on request of a Party or of the Joint Committee;
(b) be co-chaired by the representatives of the Parties at an appropriate level;
(c) hold their meetings alternately in the United Kingdom or Japan, or by any other appropriate means of communication as agreed between the representatives of the Parties to the working groups,
(d) agree on their meeting schedules and set their agenda by consensus; and
(e) take all decisions and make recommendations by consensus by meeting in person, in writing or by other means.
5. The working groups may adopt their rules of procedure. As long as they do not adopt their rules of procedure, the rules of procedure of the Joint Committee apply mutatis mutandis.
6. Each working group shall inform the relevant specialised committees or the Joint Committee, as appropriate, of the schedules and agenda of its meetings sufficiently in advance and shall report on its activities at each meeting of the relevant specialised committees or the Joint Committee, as appropriate.
7. The existence of a working group shall not prevent a Party from bringing any matter directly to the Joint Committee or the relevant specialised committees.
Article 23.5. Work of Specialised Committees, Working Groups and other Bodies
In carrying out their functions, the specialised committees, working groups and other bodies established under this Agreement shall avoid duplication of their work.
Article 23.6. Contact Points
1. Each Party shall, upon the entry into force of this Agreement, designate a contact point for the implementation of this Agreement and notify the other Party of the contact details including information regarding the relevant officials. The Parties shall promptly notify each other of any change of those contact details.
2. The contact points shall:
(a) deliver and receive, unless otherwise provided for in this Agreement, all notifications and information to be provided between the Parties pursuant to this Agreement;
(b) facilitate any other communications between the Parties on any matter relating to this Agreement; and
(c) coordinate preparations for the meetings of the Joint Committee.
Chapter 24. FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 24.1. General Review
Without prejudice to the provisions concerning review in other Chapters, the Parties shall undertake a general review of the implementation and operation of this Agreement in the 10th year following the date of entry into force of this Agreement, or at such times as may be agreed by the Parties.
Article 24.2. Amendments
1. This Agreement may be amended by agreement between the Parties.
2. Such amendments shall enter into force on the first day of the second month, or on such later date as may be agreed by the Parties, following the date on which the Parties notify each other that their respective applicable legal requirements and procedures for entry into force of such amendments have been completed. The Parties shall make such notification through an exchange of diplomatic notes between the Governments of the Parties.
3. In accordance with the respective domestic legal procedures of the Parties, the Joint Committee may adopt decisions to amend this Agreement in the instances referred to in paragraph 4. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, such amendments shall enter into force by an exchange of diplomatic notes between the Governments of the Parties, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.
4. Paragraph 3 shall apply to:
(a) Annex 2-A, provided that the amendments are made in accordance with the amendment of the Harmonized System and include no change on the rates of customs duty to be applied by a Party to the originating goods of the other Party in accordance with Annex 2-A;
(b) Annex 2-C, Appendices 2-C-1 and 2-C-2;
(c) Annex 2-D;
(d) Annex 2-E;
(e) Chapter 3, Annexes 3-A to 3-E and Appendix 3-B-1;
(f) Annex 10;
(g) Annex 14-A;
(h) Annex 14-B; and
(i) provisions of this Agreement referring to provisions of international agreements or incorporating them into this Agreement, in case of amendments or successor agreements thereto.
Article 24.3. Entry Into Force
This Agreement shall enter into force on the date to be agreed upon by the Parties after the completion of their respective applicable legal requirements and procedures for the entry into force of this Agreement. Such date shall be no sooner than the date on which the EU-Japan EPA ceases to apply to the United Kingdom and shall be identified in an exchange of diplomatic notes between the Governments of the Parties, which notifies each other of the aforementioned completion.
Article 24.4. Termination
1. This Agreement shall remain in force unless terminated pursuant to paragraph 2.
2. Either Party may notify in writing the other Party of its intention to terminate this Agreement. The termination shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the other Party of the notification, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.
Article 24.5. No Direct Effect on Persons
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as conferring rights or imposing obligations on persons, without prejudice to the rights and obligations of persons under other public international law.
Article 24.6. Annexes, Appendices, Protocol and Footnotes
The Annexes, Appendices and Protocol on Mutual Recognition to this Agreement shall form an integral part of this Agreement. For greater certainty, the footnotes shall also form an integral part of this Agreement.
Article 24.7. Authentic Texts
This Agreement is drawn up in duplicate in the English and Japanese languages, both texts being equally authentic, except for Part 2 of Annex 2-A, Schedules of the United Kingdom in Annexes I to IV to Annex 8-B and Section A of Part 2 of Annex 10, which are drawn up in duplicate in the English language.
Conclusion
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, duly authorised to this effect, have signed this Agreement.
DONE at Tokyo on the twenty-third day of October in the year two thousand and twenty.
For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
LIZ TRUSS
For Japan:
MOTEGI TOSHIMITSU