The European Union and Australia have announced plans to enhance their digital cooperation, focusing on key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital standards. This collaboration aims to strengthen the digital economies of both regions and address mutual challenges in the digital landscape.
The agreement was formalised during a meeting in Brussels between the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and the Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell. The initiative builds on the existing EU-Australia Trade Agreement and seeks to deepen the relationship between the two partners in the digital sector.
One of the primary objectives is to establish a secure and resilient digital environment by promoting the development and adoption of international digital standards. This includes enhancing cybersecurity measures and facilitating data flows while ensuring strong data protection frameworks. Both parties are committed to advancing AI technologies in a manner that aligns with their shared values and regulatory approaches.
Areas of cooperation include:
- Platforms: The EU and Australia will work together to address the challenges posed by large online platforms, including issues such as content moderation, data access, and competition.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): The two sides will collaborate on developing AI that is human-centric, ethical, and trustworthy.
- Data: The EU and Australia will cooperate on data governance, including areas such as data flows, cybersecurity, and privacy.
Both the EU and Australia recognise the importance of international cooperation on cybersecurity. They have agreed to work together to strengthen cybersecurity resilience and to promote a stable and secure online environment.
INSTAR to support EU-Australia digital cooperation
INSTAR will support these activities by identifying standardisation priorities in those domains thanks to our European Task Forces and by organising support events to discuss these topics in the second part of 2024.
