On Wednesday 18 March, the European Commission confirmed that its President, Ursula von der Leyen, would be visiting Sydney and Canberra from 23 to 25 March to mark the end of negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EU and Australia.
In a press release, the Commission states that the purpose of the visit, which includes a meeting with Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is to “strengthen EU ties with a trusted, like-minded partner in the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region”.
A series of signs earlier in the week suggested that the negotiations, which were still stalling at the start of the year (see EUROPE 13808/15), were finally drawing to a close.
The most significant point of contention concerned tariff quotas on beef imports, and had in fact derailed negotiations in late 2023, before they were finally resumed this year.
On Monday 16 March, following a telephone exchange with Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič took pride in an agreement that was “moving in the right direction”.
In a letter sent to European leaders ahead of their summit on Thursday 19 March, Ursula von der Leyen praised a bilateral agreement that would “facilitate access to critical raw materials - such as lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and hydrogen - and strengthen Europe’s presence in one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions”.
Following an agreement with the Mercosur countries and the conclusion of negotiations with India, the European Union is in the process of strengthening its arsenal of free trade agreements with “like-minded partners”. There is a clear commitment to diversification in the face of an aggressive China and an increasingly unpredictable United States.
However, not everyone is happy about the prospect of an agreement with Canberra, particularly the farming community, which is still not swallowing the pill of the provisional application of the EU-Mercosur agreement (see EUROPE 13827/37).
The Copa Cogeca association considers that granting “disproportionate” concessions to sensitive agricultural products (beef, sheepmeat, sugar) “risks undermining European farmers, distorting markets, and weakening the EU’s long-standing commitment to high production standards and rural sustainability”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys with Lionel Changeur)