About the European Union Delegation to Australia

Ambassador

Welcome to the website of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Australia at an exciting time in the EU-Australia relationship. Here you will find detailed information about a vast array of initiatives and programmes that are strengthening and expanding our cooperation, ranging from the recently launched Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks to the EU’s programmes in education and research that are open to Australians. You will also find useful information and links about the EU, its institutions, policies and global actions.

The EU and Australia share strong bonds. Diplomatic relations were established in 1962 but our shared values are rooted in common cultural, historical and personal heritage. The EU and Australia work together for a better world; they promote and defend democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law and good governance globally.

In August 2017 the EU and Australia signed a Framework Agreement which will further deepen the already rich history of cooperation. The Free Trade Agreement talks that started in 2018 will help the robust trade and investment relations reach new heights.

If you are interested in what the EU Delegation to Australia is doing, follow our social media channels or subscribe to our newsletter.

Thank you for your interest in the European Union!

Dr Michael Pulch
EU Ambassador to Australia

What we do

The European Union is represented in Australia by a Delegation in Canberra which was established in 1981 and is responsible for the conduct of official relations with Australia. The Delegation works closely with all the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States represented in Australia.

The key tasks of the Delegation:

To represent the European Union, as appropriate, in Australia.
To enhance bilateral relations in the political, security, economic, commercial, environment, social and cultural fields, including exploring new opportunities for cooperation.
To inform the EU on all relevant developments in Australia.
To promote and protect the EU's interests and values and raise awareness of the EU and its policies.

We do this by:

Making and maintaining contact with key interlocutors across the political, media, economic, commercial, education, environment, social and cultural fields at federal and state levels.
Keeping interlocutors in Australia informed of developments in the EU.
Undertaking public diplomacy activities to promote the EU's interests and engender a better understanding of EU affairs, its policies, purpose and aims.
Facilitating the negotiation and implementation of bilateral agreements between the EU and Australia, through appropriate contacts and actions.
Developing and encouraging initiatives that can strengthen the bilateral relationship.

The Delegation produces a free quarterly e-newsletter aimed at an Australian audience with business, political and cultural interest in the EU and is active on social media.

For more, see: Bilateral Relationship

Key partners

Together with the official representations of the Member States in Australia there are several other organisations that promote relations between the EU and Australia:

Europe Centres:

The goal of these Centres is to promote the study of the EU, increase the understanding of EU-Australia relations, and encourage greater interest in EU affairs across all sectors: academia, government, business and industry, the media and the general public.

The following centres are established in Australia:

The Hawke EU Centre for Mobilities, Migrations and Cultural Transformations at the University of South Australia;
The EU Centre for Global Affairs at the University of Adelaide;
The EU Centre at RMIT in Melbourne;
The Australian National University Centre for European Studies (ANUCES).

The European Australian Business Council (EABC) is a national body that enables business leaders to engage in high-level dialogue on economic and public policy issues with Australian and European political leaders, senior officials, diplomats and business delegations.

There are many additional bilateral organisations established to promote business, cultural and academic relations between Australia and the individual Member States of the European Union.