European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to visit Australia next week, as announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This visit comes shortly after her recent statement declaring that a trade agreement between the two nations is nearing completion.
Dr. Von der Leyen is scheduled to arrive in Australia on March 23 and will subsequently journey to Canberra to engage in a meeting with Albanese, according to reports.
Albanese's office declined to confirm the signing of a free trade agreement during the visit, although the government announced that Dr. von der Leyen would be joined by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic.
Also Read: Roche Ramps Up AI Computing Capacity With Nvidia Chip Expansion
Australia's Minister for Trade, Don Farrell, stated that he engaged in a virtual conference with Sefcovic the previous evening. During this meeting, they deliberated on the outstanding matters pertaining to the trade accord.
“I think there are ways through all of those remaining issues and I’m confident that if there’s goodwill on our part and also the Europeans, that in the very near future, we will be able to announce a free trade agreement with the Europeans,” he said. “It’s been hard to get.”
Negotiations for a free trade agreement between Australia and the European Union have spanned over eight years, commencing in 2018.
In 2023, both parties were on the verge of reaching an agreement before discussions collapsed, with mutual accusations of blame being exchanged.
In a recent correspondence addressed to European leaders, Dr. von der Leyen mentioned that the European Union and Australia are currently in the final stages of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. She emphasized that this agreement would signify a significant achievement in broadening Europe's global alliances.
For weeks, the European Union and Australia have been on the verge of finalizing a trade agreement, although negotiations have been delayed due to various issues, with meat imports being a primary concern. Australia has been advocating for an increase in the quota of beef permitted to enter the European Union on favorable conditions.
Also Read: EU Pushes Back on US Move to Ease Sanctions on Stranded Russian Oil
However, the European Union is cautious when it comes to agricultural imports as it aims to protect its domestic sector from potential harm. Australia's agricultural sector has harbored doubts about the feasibility of reaching an agreement with the EU for quite some time now. It is anticipated that their priorities may be overlooked in favor of finalizing the broader deal.