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Fourth Australia-Europe Economic Relations Dialogue
We were honored to host the Fourth Australia-Europe Economic Relations Dialogue at the University of Adelaide on November 18-19, 2024. With the theme "Deepening Australia-EU Relations in Troubled Times for Trade", this year’s dialogue brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to tackle critical global trade challenges and explore opportunities for closer collaboration between Australia and the EU.
[Read more about Fourth Australia-Europe Economic Relations Dialogue ]
Webinar: The Future of Australian Aid for Trade: Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Trade and E-commerce
15 November, 2024. The Institute for International Trade and Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade hosted a webinar and presentation on The Future of Australian Aid for Trade: Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Trade and E-commerce. The webinar covered the role of the recently concluded Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce, in promoting common rules and transparency upon which developing countries in our region can base their trade and development trajectories.
The Long and Twisting Road to a Trade Agreement between Australia and the European Union
WORKING PAPER 20 This working paper explores the complex historical and economic relationship between Australia and the European Union (EU), focusing on the challenges in establishing a modern bilateral trade agreement. Although Australia and the EU have shared views on advancing global trade law beyond outdated WTO standards, formal trade negotiations only began in 2017, with several setbacks, including a major collapse in 2021. The paper traces key reasons for this friction, including Australia's strong historical ties with the UK, fluctuating relations with France, and limited engagement from other EU member states. Despite the convergence in trade policies and increased economic ties, factors such as disputes over agricultural access, the geopolitical implications of alliances like AUKUS, and sensitive issues around geographical indicators (e.g., Prosecco and feta) continue to stall progress. This paper underscores that while a trade agreement could yield mutual economic benefits, overcoming entrenched interests and political complexities will be essential for future collaboration.
This work is licensed under Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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