About the Symposium

Together with Mr Don Kenyon of the ANU’s National Europe Centre, Associate Professor Pierre van der Eng of the School Management , Marketing and International Business organised the two-day symposium The European Union: Australia’s New Business Horizon during 13-14 March 2008. The symposium discussed current issues in the business relations between Australia and the EU. About 60 invited participants from private enterprise, Commonwealth public service, foreign diplomatic service in Canberra, and the ANU contributed to a varied program that contained 10 presentations. Each of the presentations outlined a key aspect of the bilateral relationship. The event was supported by the European Australia Business Council and Minter Ellison Lawyers.

Discussions revealed that the bilateral business relationship is strong, and also that both parts of the world are committed to the liberalisation of trade and investment. Consequently, following Asia and North America, the EU can be regarded as Australia's new business horizon.

However, a range of ‘behind-the-border’ regulations in both Australia and the European Union may stand in the way of further growth and diversification of bilateral trade and investment. Discussion canvassed how this issue may be addressed at political and diplomatic levels and in academic research.

Symposium Program: PDF file, 32KB
 

Symposium presentations

Available PowerPoint Presentations:

• Europhobia? Opportunities in Europe - the old and the new (PDF, 72KB)
  Ms Nicola Watkinson, Senior Investment Commissioner Europe, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
   
• Managing the risks while capitalising on opportunities (PDF, 4.77MB)
  Mr Roger Donnelly, Chief Economist, Export Finance & Insurance Corporation
   
• Environmental Regulation in Europe - Open Markets or New Protectionism (PDF, 1.01MB)
  Mr Mitchell Hooke, Chief Executive Officer, Minerals Council of Australia
   
• The EU and Australia future trade and business relations: an EU perspective (PDF, 828KB)
  HE Ambasssador Bruno Julien, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand
   
• Agriculture: Narrowing the gap by changing the CAP (PDF, 244KB)
  Mr Phillip Glyde, Executive Director, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics
   
• Agriculture: Narrowing the gap by changing the CAP (PDF, 364KB)
  Mr John Tuckwell, Senior Advisor, Trade Economics and Agriculture, Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand
   
• Trade in financial services: are there natural regional partners? (PDF, 1.60MB)
  Professor Jenny Crobett, Executive Director, AJRC, Crawford School, ANU
   
• The business services market in the EU (PDF, 142KB)
  Professor Christopher Findlay, School of Economics, University of Adelaide,  and Mr Hussain Rammal, School of Economics, University of Adelaide