New Zealand and the European Union

New Zealand and the EU signed a Partnership Agreement on Relations and Cooperation (PARC) on 5 October 2016. This Agreement renewed the relationship between New Zealand and the EU by opening up new fields for cooperation.

The EU is New Zealand’s biggest partner in terms of developing renewable energies in the Pacific, and is involved in joint projects in Samoa, Kiribati, the Cook Islands and Tuvalu. The Pacific Energy Conference, which took place in Auckland in June 2016, sought to maintain the development of sustainable energy in the region through investments totalling more than $1 billion between now and 2024.

Lastly, the conclusion of a free trade agreement with the EU is one of New Zealand’s priorities. The second round of negotiations for this agreement took place in Wellington on 8 October 2018.