European leaders on Monday 20 September in New York gave their support to France, which has had a €56-billion contract with Australia cancelled, as they announced a new defensive alliance between Canberra, Washington, and London (AUKUS) (see EUROPE 12792/1).
At an informal meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the EU Foreign Ministers expressed “clear solidarity towards France” and “clear support”, said the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, after the meeting. “This is not a bilateral issue, but an issue that concerns everyone”, he said.
The High Representative felt that the AUKUS announcement went against the call for greater cooperation under the Indo-Pacific Strategy, regretting the lack of prior consultation and the exclusion of European partners with a strong presence in the Pacific, such as France. He added that the impact of recent events on relations with Australia and the United States should be taken into account.
Earlier in the day, Mr Borrell met with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. At the meeting, they agreed to work to overcome the difficulties created by recent events.
In an interview with CNN, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called France’s treatment unacceptable. “One of our Member States has been treated in a way that is not acceptable. We want to know what happened and why. Therefore you first of all clarify that before you keep ongoing business as usual”, she said.
For his part, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, considered that “the basic principles of allies are transparency and trust, which go together”. “We see a clear lack of transparency and fairness!” he added, stressing that the Europeans should clarify and try to better understand the intentions behind the AUKUS partnership announcement. In a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Mr Michel said that “it will be important for Canberra to engage with the EU and its Member States to build trust and a strong partnership”.
On his arrival at the General Affairs Council, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, welcomed the support received, recalling that the breach of contract was a “serious breach of trust”. “This is not a nice, easy world, and Europeans must be firm and united”, he added.
On future trade links between the EU and Australia, Mr Beaune reiterated before his meeting with his counterparts in Brussels that discussions could not continue as if nothing had happened.
At the European Commission, not only are the upcoming trade agreement negotiations with Australia in question, but so is the inauguration of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council. The meeting is scheduled to take place on 29 September in Pittsburgh. However, this item was removed from the agenda for discussion by the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU for their preparatory meeting on 22 September.
As with the trade agreement negotiations with Australia (see EUROPE 12794/9), the European Commission “is currently seeking information and analysing the consequences of the AUKUS alliance announcement and its possible impact on the 29 September date”, said spokesperson Eric Mamer. He did not specify when the Commission’s decision would be taken.
European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, for his part, expressed his disappointment with the United States in strong terms during an address to the Atlantic Council in Washington on 21 September. “I hear Member States, voices in the EU saying that maybe we need a break in our relationship after what happened in Afghanistan, after the AUKUS alliance. This is a political reality”, he repeated.
Finally, at the end of the General Affairs Council, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said that after Kabul and AUKUS, “we need to focus more on the strategic autonomy” of the EU. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Léa Marchal)