The European Union is an economic and political bloc of 27 European countries. Although Australia is over 8,700 miles away, the EU and Australia have a close relationship. In 2018, both agreed to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement. So, does this mean Australia could join the EU?
Australia could not join the European Union. A nation has to be on the European continent in order to join the EU and Australia is located in Oceania. In 2018 Australia and the EU began negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement, but this does not mean Australia could join the EU.
…but that’s just an overview. If we really want to understand why Australia couldn’t join the EU, we need to look in a bit more detail.
Is Australia In The EU?
The first question we need to ask in relation to whether Australia could become an EU member state is if Australia is actually already part of the EU?
Australia is not in the European Union. There has never been a time when Australia was an EU member state and Australia has never been a candidate for membership of the European Union.
There has not been a time in history when Australia was part of the EU. Australia may have a strong relationship with the European Union, and could definitely be considered its ally, but Australia is not a member state of the EU.
In 2018, Australia and the European Union began negotiations for a free trade agreement. This would remove almost all trade tariffs between the EU and Australia, meaning duties paid on goods and services would no longer apply. In order for the free trade agreement to be signed, Australia and the EU would need to agree to shared standards in many economic areas, as well as agree to recognise the standards set by the other party.
The signing of a comprehensive free trade agreement between Australia and the European Union would further integrate the economies of the two. However, it would not mean that Australia became an EU member state.
Why Can’t Australia Join The European Union?
Ok, so we’ve established that Australia is not an EU member state, and that it could not become one. But why? Why can’t Australia join the EU?
Australia cannot become a member state of the European Union because it is not a European country. The EU only accepts as members countries on the European continent. Australia is located in Oceania and therefore is not eligible for EU membership.
In 1993, the European Union set out a series of criteria that countries must meet in order to join. These are called the Copenhagen Criteria, as they were established at the European Council in Copenhagen. Denmark. The full list of criteria is long, but the main points that aspiring EU members must meet include:
- A country must be geographically in Europe
- A nation must be democratic
- The rule of law must be respected
- Human rights must be protected
- Minority rights must be protected
- A country must have a free market economy
- A country’s economy must be able to compete in the EU’s single market
Looking at these criteria, we can actually see that Australia meets almost all of them.
Australia is a free democracy and holds regular fair elections. The rule of law is respected in Australia, as are human rights and the rights of minorities. The country’s economy runs on free market principles and, as the 13th largest economy in the world, Australia would be able to fully compete within the EU’s single market.
Although Australia meets almost all of the core criteria to become an EU member state, there is one major criteria that it does not meet – Australia is not a country in Europe.
The main reason why Australia cannot join the European Union is because it is located Oceania, not in Europe. The European Union definitely takes a broad definition of Europe – for example Georgia was given candidacy for membership in 1996. However, it is clear that Australia is not a European country.
The European Union will not accept countries as members that are not on the European continent. Morocco applied to join the EU in 1987 but was rejected because it was not a European country. This shows that Australia cannot join the EU because it is not in Europe.
Will Australia Ever Join The European Union?
The next question we need to ask in relation to Australia joining the European Union is if there is, even a small, chance that Australia could one day become an EU member state?
Australia will never join the European Union. This is because only countries in Europe can become EU member states. There is also no widespread political will or public support in Australia or the EU for Australia joining the union.
As detailed above, Australia does not meet one of the core requirements for becoming an EU member state – being a country in Europe. The European Union will only accept countries on the European continent, and as Australia is located in Oceania, it cannot join the EU.
It is conceivable that some time in the future the European Union alters its criteria for membership or gives an exemption to some countries from specific criteria so that they can join. However, it is extremely unlikely that Australia would join the EU even if this did happen. There is not the public support in either the Europe or Australia for Australia joining the EU. There is also not the political will in either to change the criteria so that Australia could become a member state.
Although it is extremely unlikely that Australia will ever join the European Union, the two will continue to work closely together, including by further integrating their economies, on increasing trade, improving cultural and educational links and on containing shared global threats.
What Would Happen If Australia Joined The EU?
Although it’s clear that Australia could never join the European Union, let’s put that aside for one minute and think about what it might look like if Australia actually did become a member of the EU. Really, there are three major things that would happen:
- An expansion of the EU’s economy
- An enlargement of the EU’s territory
- An increase in the population of the EU
Let’s take a quick look at each of these…
An Expansion Of The EU’s Economy
The European Union is the third largest economy globally. Australia is the 13th largest economy in the world. If Australia joined the EU, it would result in a large increase in the EU’s economy, adding an additional 1.3 trillion USD. This would give the EU a total GBP of 18.2 trillion USD. If Australia joined the EU, it’s economic size would be just smaller than China’s.
An Enlargement Of The EU Territory
If the EU accepted Australia as a member state, the size of the EU’s territory would increase massively. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, at nearly three million square miles. The EU is 4.2 million square miles. Australia joining the EU would mean the EU would over double in size.
An Increase The Population Of The EU
Australia joining the European Union would add 25 million people to the EU’s population. The EU currently has a population of 329 million, so this would be an 7.5 % increase.
Should Australia Join The European Union?
Ok, so we’ve looked at if Australia could join the EU, why it won’t and what might happen if it did. Now, we need to ask if Australia actually should the European Union or not?
Australia should not join the European Union. As Australia is located geographically far from Europe it would economically and strategically weaken the EU to have Australia as a member. There would also likely be hostility in both Europe and America to Australia joining the union.
There are very few people who think Australia should join the European Union. The majority of the population in both the EU and Australia are content with the current relationship between the two.
Generally, people in the EU want the union to remain a community of European nations. The stated aim of the EU is to promote cooperation and peace between European countries. It does this by integrating Europe’s economy, providing a joint governmental structure, ensuring the free movement of people, goods, and capital, and promoting education, cultural exchange and understanding between nations. Australia joining the EU does not forward the aims of the European Union.
Australia is a sovereign nation made up of six states and two territories. The country is not a member of an intergovernmental organisation and fully retains its sovereignty, having not pooled it with any other nations. Australia is able to set its own laws, regulations, trade standards and immigration rules. The vast majority of people in Australia want it to remain a fully independent nation.
Why Australia Shouldn’t Join The EU?
Right, so now we’ve established that Australia should not become a member of the EU, let’s look a bit deeper and explore four major factors that also explain why Australia should never join the EU:
- Differences in the economies of Australia and the EU
- Cultural differences between Europe and Australia
- Strategically weaken the EU
- Risks to the already strong relationship between the EU and Australia
Let’s go over each of these briefly…
Differences In The Economies Of Australia And The EU
A first reason why Australia should not become an EU member state is because of the disparities between the economies of Australia and the European Union. The EU and Australia have different economic needs, workforces, resources, standards, and regulations. If Australia joined the EU, it would have to harmonise its economy to that of the European Union. This would weaken the Australian economy and also potentially damage the EU’s.
Cultural Differences Between Europe And Australia
A second reason why Australia should not join the European Union is because of the cultural differences between them. Although Australia and parts of the EU have a shared history, and there are many cultural and educational links between the two, actually Australia and EU countries have unique cultures. Australia joining the EU could create resentment in both the EU and Australia.
Strategically Weaken The EU
A third reason why the EU should not accept Australia as a member is because Australia is over 8,700 miles away from the EU. Currently, the EU is one continuous territory. Adding Australia would mean the EU was spread across the world and this would significantly weaken it strategically.
Risks To The Already Strong Relationship Between The EU And Australia
A final reason why Australia should not join the European Union is because there is already a highly successful relationship between both parties. Australia and the EU work closely together on many issues and both could be considered strong allies. In 2018, the EU and Australia began negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement. When signed, this would further bolster the cooperation between the two. Australia joining the EU could jeopardise this already strong relationship and this is why it should not become a member state.
When Did Australia Join European Union?
Finally, some may look back through history and ask if Australia was an EU member state before, and if so, when did it join?
Australia never did join the European Union. There has never been a time Australia was an EU member state and there has never been plans for Australia to join the EU.
The European Union was founded in 1993. It followed on from the European Economic Community (ECC), that was founded in 1962. The ECC began with six member states. Today, the EU has 27 countries – all of which are in Europe.
Over the past eight decades, since the establishment of the ECC, no country outside of Europe has ever been a member. This means Australia has never been admitted to the European Union or its predecessor organization.