EU Commission President to Visit Australia as Trade Deal Edges Closer

Talks around an Australian trade agreement with the EU have gained renewed momentum amid shifting global trade dynamics, but farmers remain cautious.

European Council President António Costa (L), Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (C), and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen (R) during a bilateral meeting at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025. Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will visit Australia from March 23-25 alongside European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic.

The announcement was made on March 18 by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said it would be von der Leyen’s first trip in her capacity as European Commission president.

Albanese said the relationship between Australia and the EU was built on a shared commitment to democratic values and a likeminded approach to security and trade.

“We cooperate on a broad range of international issues, including maintaining the multilateral rules-based trading system, security and defence, climate change, critical minerals, and meaningful social media reform for the protection of young people,” he said in a statement.

Albanese said the visit would provide an opportunity to further strengthen ties.

“I look forward to welcoming President von der Leyen to Australia and continuing discussions to further expand our cooperation,” he said.

“Australia and Europe are friends and partners, working together to advance peace, security, and economic prosperity.

“The visit ... is an important opportunity to continue that work.”

The announcement comes following Trade Minister Don Farrell describing an online meeting with Sefcovic earlier in the week as “productive.”

“I am confident we can do a deal, and look forward to continuing to work with him to reach an agreement that is in Australia’s national interest,” he said, according to AAP.

Sefcovic also described the meeting as “valuable.”

“We are working hard towards a mutually beneficial agreement for all stakeholders,” he said on X. “Moving in the right direction and fully committed to a successful outcome.”

Australia and the EU have worked unsuccessfully to reach an agreement in the past decade, with talks eventually stalling after multiple rounds of negotiation.

The last round of discussions held between the two parties in 2023 collapsed, and negotiations have made little progress since.

Talks on a long-anticipated free trade agreement have been hampered by disagreements over agricultural access and product naming rights.

However, negotiations have gained renewed momentum amid shifting global trade dynamics, with both sides seeking to diversify partnerships and reduce reliance on traditional markets. This has raised expectations a deal could be finalised in the coming weeks.

Any deal struck between Australia and the EU would give Australian producers access to lucrative European markets, but could also mean more competition at home from products like European cheese.

Ireland’s ambassador to Australia, Fiona Flood, said she hoped an agreement could be reached soon.

“In these turbulent times, it’s a beacon of hope that we can close that trade deal,” she told ABC Radio.

However, Australian farmers remain wary.

National Farmers’ Federation President Hamish McIntyre said there was a growing fear that Australia’s farming industry was going to be traded away.

“At the end of the day, how does the government explain to Australian farming families that it agreed to a deal that not only harms them against European competitors, but leaves them worse off than other nations doing business with the EU?” he said in a statement.