Security Relations Between the EU and Australia

Abstract

Australia and the EU have been engaged in security dialogue and cooperation for some decades, with both high and low periods of correlation. Since the end of the Cold War, and the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, the EU and Australia have taken steps to strengthen their security engagement in key areas. According to the 2017 EU–Australia Framework Agreement, those areas include: promoting international peace and stability; active involvement in crisis management; strengthening existing engagement in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and illicit trade in small arms and light weapons; and collaborating to prevent and fight against terrorism, organised crime, and cybercrime. However, they do not consistently share similar views or priorities regarding responses to transnational and regional threats. This chapter argues that the EU–Australia security relationship has evolved from pragmatic incrementalism to selective convergence, where bilateral cooperation has fluctuated in intensity both across different security issues and across time periods.