Reflections on EU–Australia Engagement and Prospects for the Future

The relationship between Australia and the European Union has moved from being burdened by memory and trade tensions towards shared commitments to bolster the multilateral trade regime and safeguard global governance. There were trenchant critiques from Australia of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and protectionism over several decades, from UK accession to the EU’s predecessor in 1973. This article examines some material and ideational aspects of EU-Australia engagement. It considers the range of broad consensus that currently exists in terms of the values and interests that shape the stances of the two interlocutors. It seeks to provide fruitful research pathways and recommendations capable of contributing to future scholarly and policy examinations of Europe–Australia relations.