Guest of Government Visit to Australia - Her Excellency, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
24 March 2026
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Special Events Australian Parliament
07:43 - 10:38
Speaker 4
Well, it is an absolute pleasure to welcome my friend, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Australia on her first visit as president. We are so pleased that you will address our parliament today, a historic occasion. There have been 20 leaders address joint sittings of the Australian parliament, but you will be, madam president, the first woman to do so. Today marks a defining moment in the relationship between Australia and the European Union. Today, we can announce that after eight years of negotiations, Australia and the European Union have signed a landmark trade deal.
This is a significant moment for our nation as we secure an agreement with the world's second largest economy. The Australia European Free Trade Agreement will lower trade and investment barriers between Australia and the EU, a market of around 450,000,000 people. This agreement is worth $10,000,000,000 to the Australian economy on an annual basis. Our relationship with Europe is grounded in our shared belief in democratic values, in human rights, and in inclusive societies. However, the regions that we call home, the Indo Pacific and Europe, are less predictable, but they're more interconnected than ever before.
The best way of navigating this reality is for us to do more together, and that is why last year, I committed to stepping up our cooperation with the EU. This is a comprehensive, balanced, and commercially meaningful agreement that will reduce costs for Australian consumers and open new markets to Australian producers. It is a win win. It eliminates tariffs on key Australian exports, including wine, seafood, and horticulture. And it means our high quality Australian produce, including beef, sheep meat, dairy, rice, and sugar, will have access to consume...
In the European market. This benefits Australian consumers and companies too with greater choice in goods and services at lower prices, including important inputs for our manufacturing and primary industry sectors. This agreement will grow our relationship further. And further today, we're pleased to announce the signing of a new Australia EU security and defense partnership. The partnership provides a framework to strengthen cooperation between Australia and our European friends so that we can best respond to pressing global challenges.
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