Von der Leyen in Australia from Monday, agreement closer

BRUSSELS - Positive signs are multiplying over the possibility of a trade agreement with Australia, which has been the subject of heated negotiations between Brussels and Canberra for years. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit the country from 23 to 25 March, in the hope of closing the chapters still open, and sign a new agreement in response to the prevailing protectionism ridden by American and Chinese choices.

The announcement of the trip came yesterday morning from an EU spokesman. According to the communiqué, the aim of the visit is to 'strengthen the European Union's ties with a reliable and like-minded partner in the Indo-Pacific region, which is of vital strategic importance'. Three understandings are at stake: the first commercial, the second security, and the third related to the exploitation of raw materials. Among other things, Australia is the world's leading producer of lithium.

Here in Brussels there is cautious optimism that the trip will enable Mrs von der Leyen to conclude the deal. Some knots still need to be untied, however. The caution is dictated by the fact that no one at the European Commission has forgotten what happened in 2023, when the negotiations broke down abruptly - by choice of Canberra, according to Brussels. Today, as yesterday, among the sensitive topics are quotas for meat imported from Australia.

In these negotiations, Canberra is asking for more leeway in agriculture. The EU, on the other hand, has insisted on lower tariffs on manufacturing products, particularly cars, and better access to Australia's strategic minerals in order to reduce dependence on China. The two sides started negotiations in 2018. During the visit, President von der Leyen will also meet with Premier Anthony Albanese.

Speaking to SkyNews on Tuesday, Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell explained: 'I think there are ways to overcome the outstanding issues and I am confident that, if there is goodwill on our part and also on the part of the Europeans, we will be able to announce an agreement with the European Union in the near future. In the event, he said, we can already say that the understanding 'has been difficult to achieve'. Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic will also be present in Canberra next week.