This week, Speaker of the House Rt Hon Trevor Mallard welcomes eight members of the European Parliament to the New Zealand Parliament.

It is the first visit from the European Parliament since 2018. This delegation is being led by Ulrike Müller (Germany), the Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand, who also led the visit to New Zealand in 2018. This year’s delegation includes Gabriele Bischoff (Germany), Morten Løkkegaard (Denmark), Pedro Silva Pereira (Portugal), Iuliu Winkler (Romania), Monika Vana (Austria), Axel Voss (Germany), and Kosma Złotowski (Poland).

Meetings in Auckland and Wellington will focus on areas for further cooperation between New Zealand and the European Union. The delegation will meet with a range of parliamentarians involved with New Zealand–European Union relations, including Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Māori Development and Associate Minister of Trade and Export Growth; Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change; and Minister Aupito William Sio, Minister for Pacific Peoples and member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee.

Mr Speaker, who will also formally meet with the delegation, said: “The European Parliament’s last visit to New Zealand in 2018 was a huge success and I am looking forward to furthering the discussions we had around the cooperation between our two Parliaments.

“In particular, I look forward to discussing the development of the European Union– New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, and helping the delegation gain a deeper understanding of the wider Asia-Pacific regional geo-political environment.”

The delegation is in New Zealand from 22 to 26 February.

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