A year after the entry into force of the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement, the first-ever high level EU-NZ Business Summit took place in Auckland. The event began with a welcoming reception on the evening of 23 October, followed by Summit Day on 24 October, which brought together nearly 500 participants from the private sectors of the European Union and New Zealand.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, Trade Minister Todd McClay, Minister of Māori Development Tama Potaka, Minister of Science, Research and Technology Shane Reti and Minister of Climate Change and Energy Simon Watts were also present to address the audience.
On the European side, Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič used the occasion to visit New Zealand and reinforce EU messaging, marking a new era in the EU-New Zealand economic partnership. Among the various topics discussed in the panels, ranging from agriculture and clean technology to high-tech, aerospace, and defence, the Prime Minister expressed the intention to strengthen ties between the EU and the CPTPP, while setting the geopolitical scene.
This milestone event in EU-NZ relations was subsequently followed by a Trade Committee meeting in Queenstown, where the political leads discussed boosting cooperation and reducing costs for businesses.
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