As a result of the financial crisis the architecture of international economic governance is in flux. Between a putative G2 (China and the US) and a burgeoning G20, multilateralism, bilateralism and interregionalism are under threat. The creation of the External Action Service of the European Union comes in a period of both dangers and opportunities.Informed by this context, this proposal directly addresses the goal of Article 181A of the Treaty, namely, "fostering the relations of the Community with countries and territories which often share similar values, are important political and trading partners, and play an active role in multilateral fora and in global governance."By addressing the content of both the NZ and Australian bilateral declarations with the EU, the proposed Consortium provides a vehicle for researching the social science perspectives of these relations at the doctoral, Post-Doctoraltoral and academic staff level and establishes a structured mobility programme between the institutional partners. While the policy aspects of all elements within the official bilateral relations fall within the ambit of the Consortium, four thematic priorities will inform the Workplan. These are:- Comparative regional integration (examining the European Single Market and Trans-Tasman Closer Economic Relations framework within the global movement of regional integration);- Shared values and norms and their diffusion into global agendas (trade liberalization, climate change, security, etc);- Perceptions and Identity of the EU in Oceania (reflecting a post Lisbon Treaty External Action context); and,- Replacing bilateral relations by region-to-region dialogues (future scenarios of a framework for EU-Oceania relations).