Lynne Hunter

Adviser, Delegation of the European Union to Australia

Biography

Lynne Hunter was born in Presbyterian Scotland to a French Jewish mother and English Catholic father. She survived 12 years of the Scottish Education System before coming to Australia where she completed an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and English Literature and a Masters in International Relations, specialising in Conflict Resolution and Crisis Diplomacy. With this background, she believes she was destined to end up working for the European Commission.

Lynne has been with the Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand since February 1989. She is now an Adviser with responsibility for many different portfolios including Science & Technology, Education, Human Rights, Development, Immigration, Transport, Telecommunications and Privacy, to name a few.

The Delegation's primary function is to maintain a two way flow of information between the Australian Government and the European Commission in Brussels and to highlight and enhance areas of mutual interest and collaboration.

Since first being accredited to Australia in 1981, the Delegation has seen the EU-Australia relationship grow from one fixated on the Common Agricultural Policy to one of wide ranging interests with Agreements and Exchanges of letters in over 12 different areas including Science and Technology, Wine, Conformity Assessment, Coal, Environment and Energy. The newly endorsed Partnership Framework between EU and Australia opens more doors for closer collaboration in many areas.