Statement by President von der Leyen with New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern

Dear Jacinda,

It is very good to welcome you here in Brussels in the Berlaymont. I think while we both know that New Zealand and the European Union may be on the other side of the world to each other, we are so close, because we share the same values; we have the same goals. And today, we are making our partnership even stronger, with new landmark agreements.

The first one is on trade. We are concluding today the negotiations of our Free Trade Agreement. And I really want to thank Minister, Damien O'Connor, and Executive Vice-President, Valdis Dombrovskis, for an outstanding work. Tough negotiations, but they made it, we are done. So I think that this is a historic moment in our cooperation. We can be very proud of what we have achieved, after four years of negotiations. It is a solid and it is a modern trade agreement. It brings major opportunities to our companies, our farmers and our consumers and – this is important – on both sides. The European Union is already New Zealand's third-biggest trade partner. And with this Agreement, we should be able to increase trade between the two of us by 30% – that is a big step. Our farmers on both sides will benefit, and they will benefit way beyond tariff cuts. Because we will work together on sustainable food systems; we will work together on animal welfare, on food and fertilisers, on the reduction of pesticides – many, many good topics. This Agreement also protects 200 European agri-food products, the so-called famous geographical indications. EU investment in New Zealand can grow by 80%. This is huge. And this is because we managed to ensure a level playing field between EU investors and New Zealand and vice versa, New Zealand investors and the European Union. We also managed to eliminate almost all tariffs on EU exports to New Zealand. And to improve access to our respective government procurement markets. The Agreement brings modern rules on digital trade, this is very important. So it facilitates the data flow between us, this is important. But it also protects the individual rights, so protecting so it protects our values. It is a big step for our economies and for the development of digital rules internationally.

But beyond economic benefits, this Agreement has very important innovations to bring just and green growth. It hits several firsts. For example, it includes sanctionable commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement. This is the very first time that we take such commitments in a trade deal, the very first time. And it contains, again, for the first time, provisions on fossil fuels. This clearly reflects our common goal of reducing fossil fuel subsidies, and reforming fossil fuel subsidies, in particular through the WTO. And we show the same ambition on core international labour standards and on gender equality to advance women's economic empowerment. So this Agreement will bring major benefits to our economies but also to our societies. 

The second Agreement that we signed today is on law enforcement cooperation. We just witnessed the signature of this Agreement for closer cooperation between Europol and New Zealand. This will strengthen significantly our joint fight against organised crime and terrorism. Indeed, both New Zealand and the European Union have suffered heinous terror attacks in recent years, in Christchurch, in Brussels or in Nice. This Agreement will reinforce our cooperation to help us prevent such attacks. It will also address terrorist content online. And it will guarantee high standards of data protection.

Dear Jacinda,

These agreements come at a right time. The world needs right now very clear signals that democracies – like ours – deliver for people. Because the values we share are challenged, across the world. From Ukraine, to the Indo-Pacific region, you are well aware of that. Indeed, Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is sending shock waves across the world. It is driving food and energy prices up. It is endangering prospects for global growth, and the lives and livelihoods of millions. It threatens the rules-based order. So democracies need to stand up and stick together. This is why the European Union is working to strengthen its partnerships with like-minded partners.

And dear Jacinda,

Of course, you are such a like-minded partner. The agreements that we conclude today are good for New Zealand, they are good for the European Union. They are also good for the global economy as a whole, and for our citizens. And they show that democracies are united and that they are strong.

Once again, a very warm welcome.