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Trade talks between Australia and the EU halted on Tuesday after Australian minister Don Farrell cut short a visit to Brussels without resolving a dispute over beef quotas. Farrell told EU negotiators he had to consult his cabinet before he could give any further on ambitions for more Australian beef, lamb, sugar and dairy products to be allowed into the protected EU market. Negotiations will continue, before Farrell meets his EU counterparts in August. “We will continue constructive discussions with the ultimate goal of reaching an agreement,” Farrell said. The two sides hoped to reach an agreement during the current trip. Canberra wants to diversify its economy away from dependence on a hostile China, while Brussels wants better access to Australia's vast mineral resources, vital for renewable energy industries and the green transition.
Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has prioritized the deal with Australia after struggling to conclude deals with developing countries because of the EU's insistence on high environmental and labor standards. Miriam Job Function Email Database García Ferrer, trade spokesperson for the European Commission, said she regretted the split. “We have made progress, but more work is required to address key outstanding issues. Our respective teams will continue to work to close the remaining gaps.” The agreement “between two like-minded partners is important and will unlock many opportunities for our businesses and farmers.” Still, questions remain over how much beef and sheep from Australia's vast ranches should enter the EU tariff-free. The EU increased its initial offer of an annual beef quota of 24,000 tonnes, but the new number and new sheepmeat quotas fell far short of what Farrell could accept.
Farrell has noted in the past that current restrictions mean each European can only eat an Australian steak once every 40 years. Currently, Australia has a guaranteed quota of 3,389 tonnes of beef that it can export to Europe annually. Even this limited amount is subject to a 20 percent tariff. EU officials say the UK's deal with Australia, which came into force in May, has complicated matters. The UK will remove all tariffs and quotas on Australian beef over the next 10 years. Don Farrell spoke to reporters in a park in Brussels. "We have made it very clear from the beginning that we will not simply accept any deal," he said © Phil Blenkinsop/Reuters Irish and French farmers fear losing market share in the UK as a result and are unwilling to allow a large increase in imports from Australia. At an impromptu press conference in a Brussels park, Farrell said: “We have made it very clear from the beginning that we will not simply accept any deal. The agreement, from the Australian point of view, has to achieve meaningful agricultural access to European markets.
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發表於 2024-3-7 17:17:40