Overview
- Trade Minister Don Farrell has flown to Brussels for last‑mile talks with EU commissioners Maros Sefcovic and Christophe Hansen.
- Negotiations have narrowed to specific tariff‑free quota tonnages for beef and sheep, with Australia insisting on commercially meaningful access and the EU seeking to shield its farmers.
- More than 400 protected product names have been settled with grandfathering provisions, but prosecco, feta, parmesan and pecorino remain unresolved.
- Australia rejected an EU proposal for dual pricing on critical minerals, with Resources Minister Madeleine King warning it would constrain domestic policy.
- A planned visit to Australia by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected, though European diplomatic sources say the timing has been delayed pending the talks’ outcome.