European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to visit Australia in February to conclude security and trade agreements, writes the European publication Politico, citing its sources.
According to the publication, the deal with Canberra will give the EU greater access to the Australian market for strategic minerals such as lithium and copper. Previous trade talks collapsed in late 2023 due to disagreements over beef and lamb quotas. Brussels has reportedly taken steps to resume them, but the quotas are still under discussion.
The publication emphasizes that a possible agreement with Australia could cause a storm of criticism due to its significant agricultural component, as was the case with the free trade agreement with the countries of the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR).
On October 25, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new initiative to reduce the EU's dependence on critical raw materials from China. According to her, Brussels intends to compensate for the disruption of these supplies by strengthening contacts with Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Chile.