EU leaders and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met in New York on 21 September and said negotiations on a free trade agreement between the EU and Australia had concluded.
António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, met Albanese on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the European Council informed on Tuesday.
They reviewed cooperation since von der Leyen’s visit to Australia in March 2026.
The leaders said they looked forward to signing the trade deal “as soon as possible”, after concluding negotiations on what they described as a “balanced” and “commercially meaningful” agreement. No date for signature was given.
They also welcomed progress towards Australia joining the EU’s Horizon Europe programme in 2027.
Horizon Europe is the EU’s main research and innovation funding programme.
Security, technology and global issues
The EU and Australia also discussed their Security and Defence Partnership, including cooperation on hybrid and cyber threats, foreign information manipulation and interference, maritime security and crisis management.
The leaders discussed cooperation on critical raw materials ahead of a “Team Europe” business mission to Australia in October 2026.
Team Europe is the EU term for joint work involving EU institutions and member states.
They also updated each other on steps to protect young people from dangers linked to social media.
On wider international issues, the leaders discussed continued support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and Iran, and relations with China and the Pacific.
EU leaders also noted Australia’s role as President of the negotiations for the next UN climate conference, UNFCCC COP 31.
They agreed to keep working together on economic security issues including economic coercion and “non-market” practices, and on managing risks linked to critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
