As part of his first visit to Australia, the President of the European Commission, His Excellency Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, planted a European beech tree on September 5 2011.
The European beech is a large deciduous tree (Fagus sylvatica) which usually grows to a height between 25m and 35m.
His Excellency planted the tree with ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and Dr Brendan Nelson, Australia’s Ambassador to the European Union, in attendance.
The planting of a beech, found all over Europe, was symbolic of the deep roots of the relationship between Australia and countries of the European Union. The EU bloc is the biggest source of investment in Australia and its second-biggest trading partner.
His Excellency is a former political scientist, lawyer and Prime Minister of Portugal, who was elected President of the European Commission in 2004. He was re-elected for another five-year term in 2009.
Official Photographs
