What is the EU-FTA?

New Zealand and the European Union have been in ongoing discussions in pursuit of an Free Trade Agreement.

Negotiations with the Europeans would , range far beyond ‘free trade’: Europe’s pharmaceutical companies are just as aggressive as US Big Pharma in the US.

The European services lobby will also push for sweeping rules that lock in deregulatory frameworks for banking and other financial services, privatised water concessions, public private partnerships, telecommunications, and much more.

The results of the Brexit referendum will have an impact on a possible NZ-EU FTA. The National government will continue to negotiate an FTA with Europe.

Despite the Brexit vote, the National government is still gung-ho for an NZ-EU Free Trade deal. Trade Minister Todd McClay has expressed interest in establishing a free trade deal with the EU and a separate treaty with an exited Britain.