Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the European Union and France from 5 to 9 December 2022, and I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

Australia, the EU and France enjoy a substantial relationship built on a shared commitment to democratic values and a like-minded approach to a broad range of international issues.

Our colleagues in the EU and France warmly welcomed the several recent high-level meetings between Australia and its European partners, including Prime Minister Albanese, who met with European Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Michel on the margins of the 2022 NATO summit, in Madrid, in July last year, when Foreign Minister Wong met with the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Borrell on the margins of the 2022 G20 foreign ministers meeting, in Bali, in July last year. The Prime Minister's meeting with President Macron at that time was also greatly appreciated and warmly welcomed.

As a bloc, the EU was Australia's second-largest trading partner in 2020-21 as well as our sixth-largest export destination and fourth-largest service export market. The EU was our second largest source of foreign investment in 2021.

The 2017 Australia-EU framework agreement, which entered into force on 21 October 2022, provides a platform for a broad range of cooperation, including trade, research, innovation, counterterrorism development and nonproliferation, human rights, democracy promotion, climate change and environment, education, culture and justice.

The delegation had many in-depth and collegiate discussions and conversations on the ongoing Australia-EU free trade agreement negotiation, including talks that were held in Brussels in October 2022. All parties in the negotiations have many more issues in common than they disagree upon, and all share a willingness for the talks to maximise the benefit for all parties. The agreement will build on Australia and Europe's natural partnership, rising out of a shared commitment to the rule of law, global norms, and free and open markets.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has adversely impacted the global economy, with widespread energy, commodity and trade disruption. This is slowing global growth, alongside other factors such as tightening monetary policy to combat inflation in major economies and slowing economic growth in China. Interest rate hikes across major economies are placing additional pressures on emerging markets and developing economies, in addition to increasing inflation and negatively impacting household spending, and may lead to unrest and instability in vulnerable economies. That was the topic of much discussion.

Australia has imposed unprecedented and comprehensive sanctions against Russia and, to date, has provided $655 million in military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Australia's response to Russia's illegal invasion was warmly welcomed by the EU and France. All our European allies expressed their appreciation of our commitment to free and democratic principles and to holding Russia to account. Australia and the EU are increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and enhancing security stability and good governance and improving coordination of development cooperation assistance among donors in the region. This is underpinned by the EU's strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and its commitment to Asia and Pacific countries to 2027, and its commitment under the Global Gateway initiative on connectivity in December 2021.

The EU-Australia Leaders meeting in the margins of the G20 Bali was an opportunity to strengthen collaboration in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and our shared goals for sustainable development. Colleagues in Europe expressed their concern over increasingly aggressive language from China in relation to Taiwan, and shared Australia's deepening concern on the rhetoric coming out of Beijing. On trade, many pointed to Australia's strong response to China's aggressive trade stance as a model of how to deal with similar attempts from China and Russia to intimidate European countries.

The EU is focused on climate action and welcomed the commitment of the new Australia Government re-engaging with the international community on action to tackle climate change. The 2020 European Green Deal is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the aim of making the EU climate neutral by 2050. This involves sweeping legislative and regulatory initiatives for a cleaner environment, more affordable energy, smarter transport, new jobs and an overall better quality of life. Australian initiatives such as efforts to be a major green ammonia/hydrogen exporter has great potential to support Europe's plans for energy transition and security.

European partners urged Australia to be ambitious in ramping up efforts across the economy to mitigate emissions. The Safeguard Mechanism that will require Australia's largest greenhouse gas emitters to keep their net emissions below an emissions limit, was cited as an example of the Europeans believing that Australia was taking meaningful action on climate change.

On behalf of the delegation, I wish to thank the delegation secretary, Gerry McInally, for his diligence and care in attending to every aspect of the delegation. I wish to thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the assistance provided to delegation members. In particular, I want to thank the officers located within the Australian embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg, led by Ambassador Caroline Millar; and the officers located within the Australian embassy to France, led by Ambassador Gillian Bird PSM. Thanks to the ambassadors for their briefings and hospitality. Finally, the delegation wishes to thank all those individuals who and organisations which met with us during our recent visit.