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France has reportedly held up free trade talks between the European Union and New Zealand, dampening hopes a deal may be reached in the coming months.

The 27 trade ministers of the European Union (EU) are set to meet overnight in Brussels and will discuss the union's ongoing trade negotiations, which includes a deal with New Zealand.

Aris Oikonomou/AP

French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly sought to delay EU-NZ free trade negotiations.

The Financial Times reported Thursday that France had persuaded the EU to delay negotiations with both New Zealand and Chile until after the countrys presidential election in April 2022. The EU ambassador to New Zealand was unavailable for comment.

The Government has been keen to progress trade negotiations with the EU, which formally began in 2018. Trade Minister Damien OConnor headed to Europe in a hastily arranged trip in September to speak with EU counterparts.

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OConnor, in a statement, said he was aware of the reports of France seeking to delay the negotiations.

I also understand that there is widespread desire in the EU to get this deal with New Zealand done, he said.

OConnor said both the EU commission leadership and EU countries had assured New Zealand officials that the EU is keen to get a high quality and comprehensive FTA to a conclusion.

But the EUs offer of market access, or the level of tariffs and quotas that will be placed on New Zealands goods at the EU border, was not yet sufficient.

We do need a revised and commercially meaningful market access offer from the EU that addresses New Zealands key exports, he said.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had also been mooting a trip to Europe, due to occur next week, in hope of progressing the negotiations. However, this was postponed until 2022, with a spokeswoman citing a range reasons, including the best timing of negotiations.

French President Emmanuel Macron, when meeting Ardern in 2018, appeared to express support for a free trade deal between the EU and New Zealand.

However, a report in Bloomberg two weeks ago said France had sought to freeze negotiations, and the Financial Times report, quoting unnamed officials, said Macron feared a surge in lamb imports from New Zealand.

Concern that New Zealands agricultural products might flood the domestic market were also raised during the recent United Kingdom-New Zealand free trade negotiations. A in-principle free trade deal between the UK and New Zealand was reached last month.

Former trade negotiator Charles Finny said the Government had been pushing to get a free trade deal with the EU across the line prior to the French election, and the prospect of a delay would not surprise me at all.

It has been one of the reasons why we wanted to make rapid progress earlier this year, and tried to get the agreement, either finalised or agreed in-principle by about now.

This would be very much a complicating factor.

Finny said French agricultural interests, more so than the UK's agricultural industry, had been resistant to allowing New Zealands meat and dairy products better access to French markets.

The French farmers have proven to be more effective in their lobbying efforts over the last 40 years.

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France reportedly holds up NZ-EU free trade negotiations due to upcoming elections - Stuff.co.nz