WorldPosted at: Sep 18 2026 11:20PM


Australia says current priority with EU remains securing trade agreement after European Parliament President suggests associate member status

Canberra/Brussels, Sep 18 (UNI) After European Parliament President Roberta Metsola suggested that Australia and New Zealand could also be considered for "associate membership" of the European union following the bloc's invitation to Canada, Australia has said its immediate priority remains concluding a long-awaited trade agreement with Europe.
An Australian government spokesperson said Canberra's relationship with Brussels had "never been stronger or more important", but that the focus was on finalising the EU-Australia free trade agreement.
"This once-in-a-generation deal gives our farmers, exporters, producers and businesses access to 27 EU countries and 450 million consumers," the spokesperson said.
"Australia is a trading nation, and in a time of global uncertainty, deepening our trading partnerships makes economic sense."
New Zealand, meanwhile, said there had been no discussions with the EU about becoming an associate member. A spokesperson for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed that no such talks had taken place.
The comments followed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal on Wednesday to make Canada the EU's first "associate member". Metsola later told Euronews that countries including Australia and New Zealand could eventually seek similar arrangements, describing the proposed status as a way to deepen ties with like-minded partners.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet European Council President António Costa and von der Leyen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.
European Commission deputy chief spokesperson Arianna Podestà described the meeting as a chance for Brussels and Canberra to take stock of their cooperation, particularly on trade.
Asked whether associate membership would be discussed, Podestà said the Commission would not speculate about countries other than Canada.
Negotiations on the EU-Australia trade agreement concluded in March, but the deal still needs to go through ratification. Agricultural access remains one of the sensitive issues on both sides.
Under the agreement, Australia would receive additional preferential access for beef and sheep meat, including 30,600 tonnes of new beef access phased in over 10 years and 25,000 tonnes of new sheep-meat access phased in over seven years.
Australia's total guaranteed preferential beef access would reach 35,000 tonnes at full implementation, while guaranteed sheep-meat access would reach 30,851 tonnes.
EU farmers have raised concerns that the quotas could add to preferential access already available through other trade agreements, while Australia's beef industry had sought access of around 50,000 tonnes.
The agreement has also faced opposition within Australia, with the Liberal-National Coalition calling for Trade Minister Don Farrell to renegotiate parts of the deal.
Australia is the world's second-largest beef exporter after Brazil. Previous negotiations with the EU broke down in 2023 over disagreements about agricultural quotas.
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