Australia and the European Union:
A study of a changing trade and business relationship

The National Europe Centre (NEC) at the ANU is embarking on a major research three year research project aimed at identifying new opportunities for a closer, more constructive trade and business relationship with the EU into the future. While the EU is the world’s largest trade entity, accounting for 20% of total world trade, and is a major trade and investment partner for Australia, the full potential in the trade and business relationship is not being realised. Impediments include; residual impressions of Europe as a protectionist entity stemming from past conflicts over agriculture, the challenges for Australian companies in working across different business cultures in the individual member states of the EU and, impressions that domestic regulation in Europe, especially relating to environmental standards, threatens trade.

The research project being undertaken by the National Europe Centre will examine these issues in three separate but related clusters:

(a) Bilateral trade cooperation : agriculture and beyond.
(b) Working across different business environments.
(c) Dealing with “behind the border” domestic regulation.

In addition, the project aims to examine the scope for future closer cooperation between Australia and the EU in the Asia-Pacific region through research into a fourth cluster:

(d) New directions in EU and Australian trade policy in the Asia-Pacific region.

The research program will be undertaken over a three year period from 2009 supported by a grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) together with financial and research assistance from five separate industry partners:

The Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and NZ.
The European Australian Business Council (EABC).
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
The department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

Organisations or companies interested in the future direction of the trade and business relationship between Australia and the EU are welcome to register their interest in our project and its future activities. Please address any enquiries to the NEC Director and project coordinator respectively simon.bronitt@anu.edu.au and don.kenyon@anu.edu.au.