EU, Australia Fail to Finalize FTA Talks This Week
The EU and Australia were unable to finalize negotiations on a planned free trade deal this week, a European Commission spokesperson said July 11, adding that “more work is required to address key outstanding issues.” Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the commission’s spokesperson for trade, said there were “several issues on which the Australian side required further internal consultations” but said both sides will “continue to work on bridging remaining gaps.”
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“The EU side has made every effort to arrive at a balanced agreement that meets our mutual strategic interests, while also protecting the interests of our stakeholders,” Ferrer said. “We rely on our Australian partners to work with us to get this over the line soon. Our door remains open.”
Ahead of the in-person negotiations in Brussels this week, Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said July 9 the country was “strongly committed to the best possible deal for Australian businesses, farmers, workers and the broader community.” He added: “I am prepared to persist even if it means the negotiations extend into the second half of this year.”