Australia and the European Union have concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement. This was announced in a joint statement by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In their statement, the leaders welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations and announced their intention to “proceed with all procedures necessary for the agreement to enter into force“. “This agreement will boost bilateral trade and investment, support economic growth and reinforce Australia and the European Union's shared commitment to open, rules-based trade“, the statement said.
The statement noted that the EU and Australia intend to start negotiations for Canberra to join the research and innovation programme “Horizon Europe“ of the European Union until 2027. “This will facilitate cooperation in areas such as the development and study of new technologies and climate and energy research“, the document says.
Discussions on a comprehensive trade agreement between the EU and Australia began in May 2018, but negotiations were suspended in the autumn of 2021 due to tensions between Australia and France following the termination of a contract to build diesel-electric submarines, which Canberra announced after the creation of the trilateral military alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS).
After the new government came to power in May 2022, Canberra managed to improve its relations with Paris and return to discussions on a trade agreement with the EU, but did not make significant progress in the negotiations. The main reason for the disagreement was the EU's position on the trade names and labelling of 172 Australian products and 236 alcoholic beverages that did not comply with the European Geographical Indications Programme.
Australia and the European Union have signed a defence and security partnership agreement, which came into force immediately, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
He said the agreement would strengthen cooperation in the areas of cybersecurity, counter-terrorism and countering hybrid threats.
Albanese noted that the agreement provides for expanded information sharing, improved capacity to jointly respond to threats and deeper cooperation in combating online radicalisation and terrorist financing. The parties also agreed to launch a new dialogue on space security.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the partnership would create new opportunities for purchasing military equipment. “This agreement will allow Australian companies involved in defence technology and innovation to deepen their relationships with their European counterparts and lay the foundations for the expansion of the country's defence industry“, he noted.
The European Union can only send ships to the Strait of Hormuz after the end of the US and Israeli military action against Iran. This position was confirmed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra.
“European Union leaders have made it clear that they will only consider conducting an operation or mission after the end of the military action“, the EC President was quoted as saying, according to The Australian.
She acknowledged that the energy supply situation had already become “critical for allies around the world“. "We are all feeling the consequences of this in the form of rising gas and oil prices for our businesses and society as a whole, but it is crucial that we reach an agreed solution," von der Leyen added.