31 Oct 2017

EU trade committee chairman discusses NZ trade deal

From Morning Report, 8:21 am on 31 October 2017

The European Union has pulled way in the race to sort free trade deals with New Zealand and Australia post-Brexit. This week the European Parliament voted to fast-track the free trade deals, with the EU's trade commissioner, saying the Union wants to dramatically increase trade with New Zealand and Australia. Britain is also seeking to sign new free trade agreements, but it can't negotiate trade deals until it formally leaves the Union in 2019. Eight members of the European Parliament's Trade Committee are currently in Wellington ahead of the formal talks with the EU which are expected to get under way before the end of the year. The trade committee's chairman is Bernd Lange, and he joins us now.