PAST EVENT – Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement and Critical Minerals Cooperation

INVITATION
IN-PERSON EVENT

Roundtable Discussion
Luncheon

Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement and Critical Minerals Cooperation
Advancing Resilient, Sustainable and Competitive Supply Chains

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Time: 09:00 – 17:00 CEST
Venue: EIAS, rue de la Loi 26, 10th Floor, B-1040 Brussels
*A Networking Lunch will be provided between the sessions

Dear Sir/Madam/X, 

The European Institute of Asian Studies (EIAS), in cooperation with the University of Canberra, the Export Council of Australia and KU Leuven, had the pleasure of hosting to this high-level policy roundtable on the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement and Critical Minerals Cooperation.

This roundtable discussion followed the successful conclusion of negotiations for the EU-Australia FTA on 24 March 2026, representing a significant milestone in the EU engagement with trusted Indo-Pacific partners. In addition to reducing trade barriers, the agreement establishes a strategic framework for strengthening cooperation on critical raw materials, resilient and sustainable supply chains and economic security. At a time of rising demand for critical minerals, intensifying geoeconomic competition and evolving regulatory and ESG standards, this roundtable will provide a timely forum to explore how the EU-Australia trade and critical minerals partnership can be translated into concrete avenues for cooperation and mutually beneficial outcomes.

The programme featured keynote speeches by H.E. General Angus Campbell, Ambassador of Australia to the EU, and Mr Christophe Kiener, Head of Unit for South and South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand at DG Trade and Chief Negotiator for the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). These were followed by a moderated discussion consisting of two thematic sessions and an audience Q&A. The first session examined the significance of the EU-Australia FTA in strengthening an innovative and forward-looking bilateral trade partnership, situating EU–Australia relations within the broader context of trade, economic security, and resilient supply chains. Building on these discussions, the second session focused on cooperation in critical minerals, exploring practical opportunities for collaboration across the value chain, including extraction, processing, investment, traceability, and the development of sustainable and resilient supply chains.

Bringing together policymakers, diplomats, industry representatives, academics and think tank experts, the roundtable offered the opportunity to facilitate a focused and interactive exchange between European and Australian stakeholders while contributing to the broader policy debate in Brussels. 

The event was sponsored by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Critical Minerals at the University of Canberra.

Programme

08:45 – 09:00 Registration and Welcome Coffee

09:00 – 09:20 Opening Addresses

• Mr. Axel Goethals, CEO, European Institute for Asian Studies – EIAS
• Ms. Ivana Damjanovic, Associate Professor, Project Director, EU Centre of Excellence in Critical Minerals, University of Canberra

09:20 – 10:00 Keynote Addresses

• H.E. General Angus Campbell, Ambassador of Australia to the EU, NATO and Belgium
• Mr. Christophe Kiener, Head of Unit for South and South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, DG Trade and Chief negotiator for EU-Australia FTA 

10:00 – 10:15 Coffee Break

10:15 – 12:15 Session I: The EU-Australia FTA in Strategic Context

• Mr. Arnold Jorge, CEO, Export Council of Australia 
• Mr. Klemens Kober, German Chamber of Commerce
• Ms Airing Wang, Co-Founder of the AI Jar (online)

Moderator: Moderator: Dr. Axel Marx, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, KU Leuven

12:15 – 13:30 Lunch Break

13:30 – 15:45 Session II: Critical Minerals, Traceability and Resilient Supply Chains

• Ms. Helena Cavaco Viegas, DG GROW
• Mr. Jakub Wilchelm, CEO, Renesis Metals (online)
• Ms. Franziska Grüning, Transport & Environment
• Mr. Fabrice Mathieux, JRC
• Mr. Rory Macrae, External Affairs – Europe, Fortescue (online)

Moderator: Mr. Darren Sinclair, Professor, Centre for Environmental Governance, University of Canberra 

15:45 – 16:00 Closing remarks

• Ms. Ivana Damjanovic, Associate Professor, Project Director, EU Centre of Excellence in Critical Minerals, University of Canberra

16:00 – 17:00 Networking Reception