EU-Australia Relations

Tracing the evolution of EU images using a case‐study of Australia and New Zealand

“…Metaphorical images pointed to a predominantly benign image of the EU. This finding is concurrent with the friendly and constructive relations noted by Benvenutti and Murray (). The slow change in the EU's images might be due to the ‘stickiness’ of certain images – cognitive constructs are resistant to change.…”

“…Future studies need to assess if the migration crisis, and the British Leave vote in particular, will make further contributions. Future studies may also assess emotions attached to the images triggered by EU events ‘with a local hook’ (for example, Australia and NZ's history with the UK in the light of its access to, and exit from, the EU – the ‘particular British prism that drew on euroscepticism and an unwillingness to trust the Europeans’ noted by Benvenutti and Murray (, p. 613).…”

“…In their reflection on the state of EU–Australia relations, Benvenutti and Murray () pointed to the ‘broadening engagement’ between the EU and Australia in the first two decades of the 21 st century. They argued that Australian governments (starting with Howard's administration) have been seeing the EU's international role as a ‘normative actor in two ways – the EU's role as a regulatory norm‐setter in trade … and the EU's attempts to influence and shape international norms in democracy promotion and good governance’ (Benvenutti and Murray, , p. 607). Moreover the EU was increasingly recognized by those governments as a ‘like‐minded partner on non‐agricultural trade issues [for example, trading and investment], increasingly sharing similar concerns regarding stability and democracy in the Asian region’.…”

“…In addition, they also mentioned opportunities for co‐operation in science, research, technology and innovation, education and culture and facilitate movement of people. Importantly, in this ‘multidimensional engagement … trade, wine and agriculture take a back seat and terrorism security and society issues feature’ (Benvenutti and Murray, , p. 610). These findings seemingly stand in opposition to our research that registered an increasingly negative view of the EU in the period before and immediately after the outbreak of the eurozone crisis.…”

EU–Australia relations: a strategic partnership in all but name?

“…Trenchant criticism consistently emanated from Canberra regarding the CAP's distortion of world markets from the 1960s onwards (Benvenuti and Murray 2013;Groom 1992;Murray and Zolin 2012). This condemnation has been evident among the policymaking community and the media since the exclusion of Australian primary agricultural goods upon British accession to the then European Community (EC) in 1973.…”