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The Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (A-EU FTA) will create new opportunities for Australia's service suppliers in Australia's fourth-biggest market for services exports.
Guaranteed access to supply services to the EU
Australian service suppliers will enjoy greater access and certainty in accessing the EU market.
The EU's commitments on non-discriminatory treatment will allow Australian service suppliers to compete on equal terms with their EU counterparts.
This means Australian businesses supplying services to the EU will face fewer regulatory burdens and have more clarity on what requirements may apply.
Australian service suppliers will benefit from new EU commitments in key sectors of commercial interest.
Education
The A-EU FTA opens new opportunities for Australian education providers, allowing them to offer private secondary, higher and adult education services across EU Member States with fewer administrative barriers and equal treatment to local institutions. This enhanced access strengthens Australia's role in the global education sector and supports deeper collaboration with European partners.
Tourism
The A-EU FTA creates new market opportunities for Australian tourism businesses across the majority of EU Member States. By establishing transparent and predictable operating conditions, it will make it easier for Australian firms to enter, operate and compete effectively – strengthening Australia's footprint in the EU tourism market.
Financial services
The A-EU FTA encourages stronger cooperation between Australia and the EU on the development of policy, regulation and internationally recognised standards on innovative financial services and FinTech, including green finance, advancing both commercial and social outcomes.
By encouraging respective financial services and FinTech enterprises to use facilities and assistance in each other's territory, the agreement will support stronger commercial opportunities.
Telecommunications services
The A-EU FTA will guarantee access to and the use of public telecommunication networks and services. It will also encourage Australia and the EU to promote transparent and reasonable international mobile roaming rates.
This will reduce obstacles to market entry and facilitate level-playing field telecommunications industry competition across both economies.
Environmental services
The A-EU FTA delivers a significant upgrade to the EU's existing multilateral commitments on environmental services, modernising our trade relationship in one of the world's most in demand sectors. It opens the door for Australian firms to secure unprecedented access to the EU's environmental services market, supporting stronger commercial opportunities and advancing high quality green solutions across both economies.
The A-EU FTA is futureproofed: if the EU provides more generous market access for services suppliers of other countries, this will be extended to Australia.
Enhanced access for service suppliers to travel to the EU to deliver services
The A-EU FTA guarantees unprecedented access for Australian skilled professionals to travel to the EU to deliver services on contracts for up to a year.
For the first time with a major economy, the EU has guaranteed mobility pathways for services suppliers engaged in Creative Arts (CPC code 9619)1 to enter and supply services in the EU.
The EU has also committed to improved mobility for Australian company personnel, including intra-corporate transfers of up to three years for executives and specialists, and one year transfers for eligible graduate trainees.
Australians who are setting up an enterprise or engaging in other permitted business activities in the EU will be able to visit the EU for three months in any-six-month period.
This enhanced access provides more predictable, transparent and streamlined mobility arrangements to support Australian service suppliers and business representatives engaging with counterparts in the EU.
Tailored to meet Australian qualifications
The EU has agreed to tailor its education requirements to Australia's higher education system.
In addition to university degrees, the EU has agreed to accept bachelor's degrees (or higher) from Institutes of Higher Education, for the purpose of granting temporary entry to Australian skilled service suppliers.
The A-EU FTA also provides guaranteed mobility pathways for eligible Australian service suppliers with non-university advanced technical qualifications in certain technological fields.
It will also create a streamlined process to recognise professional qualifications in both the EU and Australia. This means that once an Australian service supplier is recognised in one EU Member State, they can practice in other EU Member States without undergoing full re-qualification.
1 Other than audio visual services.