Albanese revives push for Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement at G7 Summit
AFTINET | 19 June 2025
Albanese revives push for Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement at G7 Summit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Australia’s ambition to finalise a long-delayed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union, using the G7 Leaders’ Summit to renew momentum for negotiations that stalled in 2023.
Among the most sensitive topics on the table are market access for Australian beef and sheep meat exporters, and European demands around the use of geographic indicators – restrictions that would prevent Australian producers from using names like “feta” or “prosecco” unless tied to their European origins. Albanese indicated that partial progress had been made on both fronts, suggesting negotiators now have a clearer sense of where a deal might ultimately land.
While Australia is still seeking increased quotas for its red meat exports, some concessions on geographic indicators may be part of a broader compromise.
Trade officials on both sides are now working toward a possible signing during an upcoming visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, although that timeline remains tentative. Albanese stressed that beyond the economic benefits, a successful deal would carry symbolic weight by reinforcing support for open and rules-based trade at a time of tumult in the global trade order.
AFTINET and European civil society groups successfully campaigned to exclude Investor Rights to sue governments (ISDS) from the agreement. AFTINET also advocated against some original European demands for longer medicine monopolies, restrictions of regulation of tech companies and access to local government procurement. It is not clear whether these proposals are still on the table. AFTNET has also supported enforceable commitments on human rights, labour rights and environmental standards, including commitments to net zero carbon emissions, which were achieved in the EU-New Zealand FTA in 2022.
Meanwhile, Albanese and European leaders formally agreed to launch negotiations on a Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). While not connected directly to trade, the framework is intended to support greater collaboration in areas like cyber security, counterterrorism and defence industry cooperation.
This is a reflection of the growing interest from Europe in the Indo-Pacific, as China’s power grows and the United States shifts away from its historic soft power initiatives in the region. Talks on the partnership will begin immediately, with further ministerial-level engagement expected in the coming weeks.
