Commissioner Patten to visit Australia and New Zealand

The External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten is travelling to Australia and New Zealand from 16 to 24 April, where he will visit Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Auckland and Wellington and meet senior members of the respective governments. Discussions will range over a broad agenda including EU-Australia and EU-New Zealand relations, WTO negotiations, bilateral trade issues including agriculture, as well as international issues such as reconstruction in Iraq and the DPRK.

On the eve of his trip, Commissioner Patten said, "Europe shares with Australia and New Zealand strong historical and cultural connections. We enjoy extensive trade and investment links - for example, the EU is Australia's largest economic partner - and we have a mutual interest in working together to tackle global and regional issues, from the future of world trade, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, to the regional problems of the Korean peninsula and the Pacific islands, where we are one of the largest providers of development assistance. During my visits to both countries, I look forward to discussing these and other issues with ministers, business leaders and academics."

The Commissioner will start his trip in Melbourne, where he will participate in the 19th annual Ministerial Consultations between the Australian authorities and the European Commission, hosted by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Treasurer Peter Costello, Trade Minister Mark Vaile and Environment Minister David Kemp will also take part. He will also address the Commonwealth Law Conference.

On 17 April, Commissioner Patten will travel to Canberra where he will meet with Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, as well as addressing the National Press Club.

These meetings provide an opportunity to review EU-Australia co-operation initiatives undertaken since the Joint Political Declaration in 1997. The two sides will also discuss the future focus of the relationship, and they are expected to identify priority initiatives in the field of education, science and technology, transport and immigration policy.

Where specific problems remain concerning agriculture, the Commission considers that such issues should be solved on their own merits in the WTO context and should not be allowed to harm the positive evolution of the bilateral relations. Commissioner Patten will argue for a realistic approach to agriculture in the Doha Development Round and urge the Australian authorities to work with the EU to prepare the 5th WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun this autumn.

On 21st April, the Commissioner will travel to New Zealand. In Auckland, he will hold talks with the Prime Minister, Rt Honourable Helen Clark, and discuss EU-New Zealand relations with academics at the University of Auckland. In Wellington, on 23rd April, he will meet Foreign Minister Phil Goff for the regular Ministerial Consultations between the European Commission. In addition he will speak at the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs and National Centre for Research on Europe, as well as the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Discussions are expected to cover bilateral relations and co-operation, bilateral and multilateral trade issues, the environment and current international developments. A further issue is the existing regime of visa arrangements between the EU and New Zealand, as the present situation is to be reviewed following the establishment of a frontier-free zone covering thirteen EU Member States and two associated European countries.


Background

EU/Australia relations

The main agreement governing the bilateral relationship between EU and Australia is the 1997 Joint Declaration1, which affirms the joint determination to promote peace, democracy, non-proliferation, a sound world economy and a strong multilateral trade system. Discussions take place in a regular framework of summits, ministerial and official level meetings. The relationship is progressively deepening.

Last summer, President Romano Prodi called for the relationship to be set in a broader context that goes beyond the trade relationship. For the first time, the recently released Australian White Paper on Australia's foreign policy entitled "Advancing the National Interest" stresses developing relations with an enlarged and increasingly cohesive EU.

The EU has been Australia's largest economic partner for the past eleven years and in 2001/2 accounted for 20% of all Australian overseas transactions compared with 17 % for the USA and 13% for Japan and ASEAN respectively. The EU was also the largest source of Australian imports (22% share of total imports, mainly medicines, cars and telecommunications equipment) and third most important market for Australian exports (12% share of total exports, mainly coal, wool and wine). The EU remains Australia's largest partner in services trade (22%) and leading investor (33% of total foreign investment in Australia). In recent years bilateral agreements have been concluded on trade in wine, co-operation in the field of science and technology and standards and certification


EU/New Zealand relations

Relations between the EU and New Zealand are governed by the Joint Declaration of 1999. This proclaimed a number of common goals, such as support for democracy, human rights and rule of law, development issues, relating to the South Pacific, sustainable development and promotion of the effectiveness of the United Nations.

Regular dialogue takes place at ministerial level, and their scope has widened over the years from bilateral trade issues, to cover a broad range of multilateral trade and international relations matters. Every year there are consultations at official level on agriculture, and fisheries, and there is regular co-operation on climate change, development assistance and trade and investment liberalisation questions.

Two way trade between the EU and New Zealand totalled € 5,1 billion in 2002. New Zealand imports from the EU were valued at € 2.4 while its exports to the EU reached € 2.7 billion. The main destinations within the EU are the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy and France. Europe also represents 28% of the stock of New Zealand's direct overseas investment and 17% of the stock of foreign direct investment in New Zealand.


For further information:

The EU's relations with Australia:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/australia/intro/index.htm

The EU's relations with New Zealand:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/new_zealand/intro/index.htm

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