Congratulations to Karen Hussey and Don Kenyon on the launch of A Special Issue of the Australian Journal of International Affairs : ‘Australia’s trade with Europe: potential unfulfilled?’ As import tariffs decline in importance (other than on agriculture) and as services trade expands between industrialised regions such as Australia and the EU, ‘behind the border’ regulatory barriers (such as divergent product and food standards, testing and certification procedures, services regulations and divergent regulations in pursuit of environmental goals) become more significant as impediments to trade and investment. While the purpose of many regulations is to protect consumers and the environment, divergent domestic regulations and standards can affect the competitive position of firms, helping some and disadvantaging others by affecting the importation of products not produced or grown according to those requirements. Thus, dealing with the negative trade impacts of divergent regulatory cultures, and putting in place mechanisms to minimise and resolve trade disputes stemming from regulatory divergences, will become an increasingly important trade policy issue for the twenty-first century. Drawing on experiences from the Australia-European Union trade relationship, the articles in this special issue of the Australian Journal of International Affairs focus on individual aspects of this issue, and collectively they provide insights into how increased cooperation and deeper integration could minimise the external impact of domestic regulation and provide new impetus to the EU-Australia trade and business relationship. http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/caji20/current

Welcome to the first issue of the Australia and New Zealand EU Centres Newsletter. This newsletter reflects the collaboration between the EU centres at the Australian National University, RMIT, Monash and the New Zealand European Union Centres Network that is funded by the European Commission.

There is a second call for the Erasmus Mundus mobility grant for Australian and New Zealand citizens studying at the ANU to travel to Europe. Details for PhD, postdoctoral and staff fellowships are available at www.euossic.org. The deadline for applications is 19 September 2011. Enquiries to Centre for European Studies Director: Jacqueline.lo@anu.edu.au  

This mini-symposium to be held from 3-6pm on Tuesday 30 August 2011 at the University of Sydney Law School will consider regulatory and legal implications of the proposal by Australia’s present Foreign Minister to go beyond existing mechanisms within the vibrant Asia-Pacific region to promote an “Asia Pacific community” entrenching better “habits of cooperation” in economic, security and socio-political affairs. A leading political scientist and former diplomat, Professor Philomena Murray (University of Melbourne), will give the keynote address, setting this initiative in the context of existing institutions in the region and other parts of the world (including the European Union and South America) as well as other Asia-Pacific regional integration initiatives. For more information please see: Building an Asia Pacific Community: Economic, Security and Socio-Political Dimensions