Key CER Instruments

• Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Barriers to Trade
• Memorandum of Understanding on Harmonisation of Business Law and 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on Coordination of Business Law. Coordination of competition law, securities law and takeovers law, with work proceeding on consumer protection law, electronic transactions law, disclosure regimes, cross-border insolvency and intellectual property rights.
• Protocol on Acceleration of Free Trade in Goods
• Protocol on Trade in Services
• Protocol on the Harmonisation of Quarantine Administrative Procedures. The 1983 CER Agreement allows the adoption of measures to protect human, animal or plant life or health. For further information see our Quarantine Matters site. A regular senior officials Biosecurity Dialogue was established in 1999 to manage quarantine issues.
• Joint Understanding on Harmonisation of Customs Policies and Procedures and the 1992 and 1996 Cooperative Arrangements Regarding Mutual Assistance between Customs’ administrations

1990

• Agreement on Standards, Accreditation and Quality
• Agreed Minute on Industry Assistance

1991

• Joint Accreditation System for quality accreditation

1994

• Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Securities Commission and the Securities Commission of New Zealand

1995

• 1995 Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand Concerning a Joint Food Standards System managed by a bi-national agency, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ); and a Joint Food Code that entered into effect on 20 December 2002
• Double Taxation Agreement

1996

• Australia New  Zealand Single Aviation Market Arrangements and 2000 Open Skies Agreement

1997

• The Australia New Zealand Government Procurement Agreement provided for a single trans-Tasman government procurement market. As well as ending inter-state or trans-Tasman preference margins on Australian and New Zealand content in government purchasing, both countries undertook in the Agreement to accord each other’s products and suppliers equal treatment, and to promote opportunities for them to competefor government business on a value-for-money basis.

1998

• Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement [link to User’s Guide] (TTMRA) allows a good that can legally be sold in one country can also be sold in the other, and a person who is registered to practise an occupation in one country is entitled to practise an equivalent occupation in the other

2003

• Agreement between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Australia for the Establishment of a Joint Scheme for the Regulation of Therapeutic Products.

2006

• New CER Rules of Origin were agreed with Australia in 2006. The rules entered into effect on 1 January 2007.
• Treaty on Mutual Recognition of Securities Offerings signed.

2007

• Cooperation Agreement between the New Zealand Commerce Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.