Inter-parliamentary meetings

39th EU-Australia Interparliamentary Meeting, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia

Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand, 39th EU-Australia Interparliamentary Meeting, meeting with the Honourable Curtis Pitt MP, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, Australia on 1 November 2018
EU-Australia.jpg © Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand, meeting with the Honourable Curtis Pitt MP, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, Australia, 1 November 2018 © European Union (2018) - European Parliament
7 MEPs from the Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand visited Australia end of October to hold the 39th Interparliamentary Meeting (IPM) in Sydney.
They were joined by the Rapporteur of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and the Rapporteur for the envisaged bilateral Free Trade Agreement from the International Trade Committee (INTA).
While discussions in Sydney focused on the bilateral political and commercial relationship, meetings in Brisbane, the second destination, dealt with agricultural issues, climate change and the conditions of Australia's indigenous people.

22nd EU-New Zealand IPM, February 2018, Wellington and Auckland

DANZ Delegation meeting Speaker Rt Hon Trevor Mallard in the Speaker's Lounge during 22nd Inter-Parliamentary Meeting between the European and New Zealand Parliaments in Wellington, New Zealand.
Members of the European Parliament meet speaker RT Hon Trevor Mallard © Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives-New Zealand - Source: www.parliament.nz © Office of the Clerk - 2018
The 22nd EU-New Zealand Interparliamentary Meeting (IPM) was held in Wellington and Auckland from 13 to 15 February 2018. MEPs participating in the IPM were Ulrike Müller (Chair), Hannu Takkula, Monika Vana and Derek Vaughan.

MEPs were welcomed by the Right Honourable Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the House of Representatives. The delegation then met with the New Zealand - Europe Parliamentary Friendship Group (including Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs) and Members of the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence Committee under the Chair of Simon O'Connor. MEPs also discussed the current state of the bilateral relationship - including the envisaged opening of negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement - during meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with the New Zealand Business community and academics involved in bilateral relations. Given the importance of agricultural issues for the envisaged trade negotiations, MEPs i.a. also met the Minister for Primary Production and a representative of the country's most important (diary) exporter.

In general, discussions not only focused on the bilateral FTA, but also on the importance of the well-functioning of the multilateral trade system and of the global fight against climate change (where the recently announced and very ambitious climate goal presented by the new New Zealand's administration was a major topic). All in all, the mission confirmed the excellent state of the bilateral relationship and the importance of the values shared by both sides in a very challenging and fast changing international environment.

38th EU-Australia IPM October 2017, Strasbourg

Flags
Australia and EU flags © EUROPEAN UNION (2017) European parliament
Members from the Australian Parliament led by Honourable. Tony Smith MP, Speaker for the Parliament held several meetings during the Plenary Session in Strasbourg 4-5 October 2017. The delegation met with the Secretary General and the Speaker also had a one on one meeting with President Tajani.

The Australia Delegation consisted of:

  • Hon. Tony SMITH (Liberal Party, Speaker of the House of Representatives)
  • Senator Helen POLLEY (Labor Party, Tasmania)
  • Senator David FAWCETT (Liberal Party, South Australia)
  • Ms Melissa PRICE (Liberal Party, House of Representatives)
  • Mr Andrew GILES (Labor Party, House of Representatives)
  • Mr Rowan RAMSEY (Liberal Party, House of Représentatives)

Topics of discussion included:

  • Trade relations
  • Fight against climate change and terrorism
  • Data protection
  • Brexit

EP President Antonio Tajani and Hon. Tony Smith, Speaker Australian Parliament

Hon. Tony Smith MP, Speaker for the Australian Parliament with Presdient Tajani
38th EU-Australia IPM © European Union (2017) European Parliament

DANZ Vice Chair Axel Voss & MEP L Morgano with Australian Speaker Tony Smith and MPs

Vice Chair of the EP delegation, Mr Axel Voss and Mr L Morgano (MEP) with the Australian Speaker, Hon. Tony Smith  and Members
38th EU-Australian IPM © European Union (2017) European Parliament

Speaker and MPs of the Australian Parliament with EP Secretary-General, Klaus Welle

The Speaker and Members with the Secretary General
38th EU-Australia IPM © European Union (2017) European Parliament

37th EP-Australia IPM, February 2016, Canberra and Perth

The 37th EU-Australia inter-parliamentary meeting was held in Canberra and Perth on 9-11 February 2016. MEPs participating in the mission were Axel Voss, Jacqueline Foster, Luigi Morgano and Monika Vana.

The delegation met with:
  • Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, President of the Senate,
  • The Hon Tony Smith MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  • The Hon Richard Marles MP, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection,
  • Hon Andrew Robb AO MP, Minister for Trade and Investment,
  • Mrs Julie Bishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
  • Senator Linda Reynolds, Senator for Western Australia,
  • Mr Craig Maclachlan, Chief of Staff to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection,
  • Hon Peter Dutton MP,
  • Ms Nola Marion MP and members of the Australia-European Union Parliamentary Group.
Topics of discussions included:
  • economic and trade relations,
  • counter-terrorism,
  • migration,
  • Australia in the regional context,
  • climate change.
The Delegation visited two EU-(co)funded projects:
  • the (old) ESA antenna close to Perth and
  • the Centre for European Studies at Australian National University in Canberra.

36th EU-Australia IPM, February 2013, Sydney

7 Members of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand (DANZ) visited Australia (Sydney-Canberra-Adelaide-Port Lincoln) from 11-16 February 2013 for the 36th EU-Australia Interparliamentary Meeting. MEPs participating were R. Bastos, E. Jeggle, D. Martin, E. Menendez del valle, M. Panayotova, H. Takkula and G. Chichester.

The delegation met with:
  • the Hon. Anna Burke, Speaker of the House of Representatives
  • Members of the Australia/European Parliamentary Group
  • Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
  • Members of the House Standing Committee on Climate Change, the Environment and the Arts
  • Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and to the Treasury
  • the Hon. Michael Atkinson, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Parliament of Southern Australia
  • the Deputy President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales (NSW)
  • European Australian Business Council and other business stakeholders
  • the UN Envoy to Cyprus
  • Scientists of the Fishery Industry
  • Academics from the Australian National University, the University of NSW, the Lowy Institute for International Peace, from the South Australian Research and Development Institute and from The National Aboriginal Cultural Institute

Topics of discussion included:

  • domestic political situation in Australia
  • Australia's foreign policy (UN Security Council, G20 Presidency)
  • Australia's economic situation, bilateral economic and commercial relations and multicultural trade agreements
  • environmental issues
  • agriculture with a focus on Aquaculture and viticulture
  • education

The Delegation also attended Question Time in the House in Canberra.

35th EU-Australia IPM, April 2012, Brussels

The 35th EU-Australia inter-parliamentary meeting was held in Brussels on 23 and 24 April 2012. The Australian Delegation was led by Senator the Hon. J. Hogg who was accompanied by Mr G. Perrett, Ms D. O'Neill, Mr R. Broadbent, Senator the Hon. I. Macdonald and Senator B. McKenzie.

Topics of discussion included:

  • political situation in the EU and in Australia
  • economic situation in EU and in Australia
  • Australia's foreign policy
  • cyber-security
  • agriculture
  • energy and research, including alternative energy sources

The Australian Delegation also met with EP President Martin Schulz.

21st EU-New Zealand IPM, March 2017, Brussels

The 21st EU-New Zealand inter-parliamentary meeting was held in Brussels on 23 March 2017.

The New Zealand Delegation consisted of:

  • Hon. Annette KING (Labour Party)
  • Ms Tracey MARTIN (New Zealand First)
  • Ms Melissa LEE (National Party)
  • and Mr Winton HOLMES (NZ Parliamentary Officer, Inter-parliamentary relations)

Topics of discussion included:

  • data protection, counter-terrorism and migration
  • environmental policies in the EU and New Zealand
  • economic situation and ongoing trade discussions

The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Ms Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz, hosted an official lunch. The Delegation from New Zealand also visited the buildings of the European Parliament and the Parlamentarium.