The EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy: Perspectives From Australia

Abstract

This article examines perceptions in Australia of the European Union's Indo-Pacific Strategy, drawing on interviews conducted with government officials, experts and civil society actors. The EU is regarded positively as a friend and partner of Australia and equally committed to the maintenance of the rules-based international order. Conversely, the results of this research reveal a limited understanding of the EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy. They also reveal a persistent and limited understanding of the EU in its own right, distinct from the long-standing bilateral relations between Australia and the EU's Member States. The findings draw attention not only to the need for clearer, more targeted communications by the EU of its strategic intent in this region, but also to the need in Australia for better education about the EU and a more contemporary understanding among policymakers of the EU as a strategic actor. Ironically, the global disruption that has unfolded since 2022, accelerated by the second Trump Administration, has triggered new energy in the EU–Australia relationship. In March 2026, a trade agreement, a defence agreement and negotiations over Australia's association with the EU's research and innovation programmes have all marked a new and more purposeful phase in EU–Australia relations.