On Thursday 16 November, the European Parliament gave its consent (with 511 votes in favour, 57 against and 40 abstentions) to the conclusion of the partnership agreement, signed in October 2016, to step up EU-New Zealand bilateral relations and cooperation.
In a resolution drafted by Charles Tannock (ECR, UK), which was adopted with 473 votes in favour, 57 against and 79 abstentions, the European Parliament hails the conclusion of this agreement, the objective of which is to strengthen political dialogue and economic cooperation by covering a wide range of domains – including science and innovation, culture, education, migration, counter-terrorism and cybercrime (see EUROPE 11640).
The Parliament is also in favour of opening negotiations for a free trade agreement, provided these are conducted "in a spirit of reciprocity and of mutual benefits, and taking account of the sensitivity of certain products, especially certain agricultural products".
In addition, Parliament supports the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in many areas – from security in the Asia-Pacific region to environmental protection, the fight against climate change, the governance of oceans for conservation and the sustainable use of resources.
Parliament also hails New Zealand's ratification of the 2015 international climate agreement, and the country's 80% use of renewable energies for feeding electricity production. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)