The EU's Relations with Australia: Overview

The bilateral relationship is   now set in the context of the 2008 European Union - Australia Partnership Framework, which was  launched at the EU-Australia Ministerial meeting on 29 October 2008 in Paris.  The Partnership Framework is a comprehensive   restatement  of our shared values and close historical, political, economic and cultural ties.

Building on these strong foundations, it sets out a number of medium and longer term objectives and spells out an immediate action plan on how to best achieve them through concrete measures.  The aim is to maximise our level of cooperation to achieve our common goals in:

• foreign policy,
• security threats especially from terrorism,
• international trade,
• regional cooperation in the Pacific.

We also aim to   work together to  help meet global challenges such as

• climate change and protection of the environment generally,
• energy security
• protection of fisheries and forests.

The Partnership Framework replaced the 1997 Australia-European Union Joint Declaration on Relations [link] and the subsequent March 2003-08 Agenda for Cooperation. But this is not where the story ends, as the Partnership Framework remains a living document to be reviewed and adapted as objectives are achieved and circumstances change. It was reviewed in 2009 - see Activities completed or cooperation/coordination established in 2008 and 2009

Several sectoral agreements complete the picture. Most notable among them are the following:

• 1982 Agreement between the Government of Australia and the European Atomic Energy Community concerning transfers of nuclear material from Australia to the European Atomic Energy Community;
• 1994 Agreement Relating to Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the European Community and Australia (expanded in scope in 1999);
• 2008 Agreement between the European Community and Australia on trade in wine;
• 1999 Agreement on mutual recognition in relation to conformity assessment, certificates and markings between the European Community and Australia.

Political relations

The EU and Australia share many common views in the field of foreign and security policy. An EU-Australia Joint Declaration adopted in June 1997 was followed by an Agenda for Cooperation in 2004, to help invigorate the bilateral relationship. The Partnership Framework Agreement was adopted in October 2008, to reflect the strengthing and developing ties between Australia and the EU.

Economic Relations

The EU has been Australia's largest single economic partner for more than 25 years and remains among Australia's major partners in two-way trade in goods and in services. Similarly, the EU is the largest source of foreign investment in Australia and the second major destination for Australian investments abroad. The importance of Europe as a reliable and stable partner is exemplified by the diverse nature of its trade and investment relationship in comparison with most of Australia's other major partners.

The following agreements underline the importance and contribute to the success of the bilateral economic relationship:

• The Wine Agreement (2008) aims at protecting a number of geographic indications and traditional expressions while improving access of Australian wines to the European Community market.
• The Mutual Recognition Agreement (1999) facilitates some EUR 8 billion in annual bilateral trade in industrial products. In 2009 the EU and Australia initialled a reviewed text, simplifying the initial Agreement A similarly reviewed parallel agreement was also initialled with New Zealand.

Australia's largest export to the EU is coal, followed by alcoholic beverages (mainly wine) and medicaments. In turn, the EU's major exports to Australia include medicaments, passenger motor vehicles and aircraft and associated equipment.

Trade and Investment data

Sources: Eurostat DG Trade A2, December 2009

see also EU-Australia Key facts

Co-operation

Significant progress has been achieved in the area of scientific and technical co-operation. The S&T agreement of 1994 was the first such co-operation agreement concluded by the European Community with an industrialised country outside Europe. Originally limited to six clearly defined areas, the agreement has been broadened in 1999 to allow Australia to participate in all EU thematic research programmes and to access all large-scale research facilities of the EU.

The EU and Australia also co-operate on environmental issues. A 1991 exchange of letters established a framework for collaboration and dialogue between the European Commission and the Australian government.

In the area of industry, the EC/Australia Joint Group on Industrial Co-operation was established in 1991 in order to "encourage greater mutual understanding of EU and Australian industry and industry-related policies and to promote industrial cooperation between the EU and Australia". Topics to date include: Environment issues, Information Technology and Information Society.

In 2001, the EU and the Australian National University set up, in Canberra, the National Europe Centre which plays an important role in enhancing the links between the EU and Australia. In 2006 two new Europe Centres were opened, and on 18 April 2007, Mr Jan Figel', Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, and The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Education, Science and Training, signed a Joint Declaration on Education.

Further progress is anticipated in the areas of consumer policy and co-operation in education.

see also EU-Australia Key facts