EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement

Political momentum is growing to transition towards low-emission, sustainable and more inclusive economies. International trade and investment treaties increasingly feature provisions on climate and biodiversity as well as labour and indigenous rights.

New Zealand has been advocating for an inclusive trade agenda, including climate and sustainability issues to play a greater role in trade policy for more than a decade. The country is part of several initiatives linking trade and sustainability such as the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) and the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate. The more recent EU trade agreements include Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) objectives. In 2022, the European Commission announced its new approach to further strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the TSD chapters in the EU's trade agreements.

The recently signed free trade agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and the European Union is one of the most ambitious and progressive trade deals for sustainability. Key provisions relate to labour standards, gender equality, climate change, emissions trading, environmental goods and services, forests, fisheries subsidies, and fossil fuel subsidy reform. For the first time in an EU trade agreement, the entire TSD chapter is subject to the agreement’s dispute settlement provisions and thus legally binding. Failing to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement and the ILO Convention could result in trade sanctions. As such, the EU-NZ FTA has set a bold precedent for the sustainability aspects of future FTA negotiations.

• How can international trade policies, practices and rules support sustainable development and address climate change?
• To what extent is the EU-NZ FTA a breakthrough in modern and high-quality free trade agreements?
• What are the implications of the EU-NZ FTA for the future of the EU’s and New Zealand’s trade policy?
• What can others learn from this example?

To discuss these and other questions, the New Zealand Embassy in Berlin and the Heinrich Böll Foundation cordially invite you to join a lively debate on trade and sustainability. Our expert panel will represent different perspectives from academia, government, business and civil society. 

Stay on after the discussion to enjoy a glass of New Zealand wine and light snacks.

Keynote Speaker:

• H.E. Craig Hawke, New Zealand Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany

Panelists:

• Alice Tipping, Director Trade and Sustainable Development, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
• Bettina Müller, Expert on Trade and Investment Policy, PowerShift
• Dr. Nikolas Keßels, Deputy Head of the Foreign Trade Department, Federation of German Industries (BDI)
• Oliver Knoerich, Head of Division Geoeconomics and International Economic Policy, Federal Foreign Office

Moderation:

• Jörg Haas, Head of Globalisation and Transformation Division at Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Contact:
Christina Rode
Project Officer Globalisation and Transformation
rode@boell.de