Overview
- EU and Australian negotiators said they made good progress narrowing a small number of outstanding issues and will now report to their leaders.
- Access for Australian beef and lamb, including quota sizes and import restrictions, remains unresolved as Australia pushes for commercially meaningful terms.
- Trade Minister Don Farrell said the deal is closer than it has been in 25 years but confirmed no agreement has been finalized after two days of meetings in Brussels.
- If remaining gaps are closed, leaders could sign within weeks, and EU President Ursula von der Leyen is widely expected to travel to Australia for a signing.
- A concluded pact would remove tariffs on many European imports such as cars, open the EU’s 450 million‑consumer market to Australian exporters, and balance terms on geographical indications, labour mobility and critical minerals, even as farm groups on both sides warn of tougher competition.