The Australian Embassy organized today a working meeting to learn about the current situation of the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the European Union from Alison Burrows, Australia’s chief negotiator. The meeting was organized with the collaboration of the Exporters and Investors Club, the Secretary of State for Trade, the Spain-Australia Council Foundation, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations.

The following experts took part in the meeting:

– Alison Burrows, chief negotiator for Australia in the EU-Australia Agreement;

– Sophia McIntyre, Australian Ambassador to Spain;

– Álvaro Rodríguez, representative of the S.G for EU Trade Policy of the Secretary of State for Trade;

– Antonio Bonet, President of the Exporters and Investors Club;

– Ramón Moreno, Secretary General of the Spain-Australia Council Foundation;

– Marta Blanco, President of CEOE International;

– Jaime Montalvo, president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting focused on the current status of the negotiations, which will begin their 13th round next week, as well as the interests of Spanish business organizations and companies in the trade agreement. In addition, during the meeting, some key aspects of the negotiations were highlighted, such as the protection of geographical indications, the temporary mobility of skilled workers, data protection and intellectual property, or points in common in the areas of energy, education or cosmetics, among others.

Finally, all those present emphasized the need to form agreements with partners, such as Australia and the European Union, who share democratic values and respect for human rights, in order to strengthen resilience and diversify the origin of imports in the current turbulent international context.