Australia and the EU have failed to reach a free trade agreement after five years of negotiations. Australia is unhappy about EU demands to restrict the labelling of Australian Feta cheese and Prosecco, which enjoy status of protected categories in the bloc – where they originate – and has also complained that the bloc has not been prepared to open its market to tariff-free beef and sheep imports.
The Australian government walked away from a proposed deal in July, arguing that it did not open up trade enough for the country’s agricultural products and Australian farmers pressured Don Farrell, Australia’s trade minister, not to sign a deal that could disadvantage the sector for decades. The failure of talks indicates the difficulty of securing free trade agreements as countries become increasingly protectionist. The largest farm industry group thanked the government for refusing to „throw Aussie farmers under a bus” by signing the deal, reasserting that it would not have allowed enough of their products into the EU. The EU is also exploring the possibility of using shipments of grain or fertiliser from Ukraine as part of a wider deal on migration and economic support for Egypt.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
Australia-EU Agriculture Deal Falls Through
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