The Prospects for EU–Australian Free Trade Negotiations and the Challenge of Brexit

Abstract

The finalization of the Framework Agreement in 2016 and the opening of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in 2018 indicate a period of unparalleled cooperation in EU–Australia relations. Nevertheless, these developments have occurred in the context of Brexit. In analysing the likely impact of Brexit this article will consider past bilateral disputes which negatively impacted on Australia’s engagement with the EU and how it was perceived as an international actor. In recent decades, however, the establishment of the single market and the implementation of the euro have seen a broadening of relations. Significant bilateral agreements have been completed despite the emergence, more recently, of the eurozone crisis as a source of bilateral tension. There is now an opportunity to assess whether relations have matured so that a single issue such as Brexit may not negatively impact on bilateral cooperation.