A two-day intensive dialogue between European Union’s Commissioner for Commerce and Financial Safety Maros Sefcovic and India’s Commerce and Business Minister Piyusg Goyal concluded right here on Tuesday, offering strategic steerage to the groups negotiating a bilateral Free Commerce Settlement (FTA). The settlement may very well be concluded “on the earliest,” sources right here mentioned.
The go to of Sefcovic came about towards the backdrop of the technical discussions held from 3-9 December 2025 in New Delhi throughout key chapters of India-EU FTA overlaying Market Entry for Items, Guidelines of Origin, Providers, Technical Boundaries to Commerce, Commerce and Sustainable Improvement.
The go to was preceded by high-level discussions between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Director-Normal Commerce, European Fee Sabine Weyand.
Sefcovic’s meet with Jaishankar
Earlier than he met Goyal, Sefcovic additionally held discussions with Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday. He additionally met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday. “We had a constructive, results-oriented dialogue on key areas of shared curiosity and alternative between India and the EU.” EU commerce commissioner posted on ‘X’ after his assembly with the finance minister.
“Each side took notice of the regular progress achieved throughout numerous negotiating tracks and agreed on the necessity to maintain the present momentum via continued exchanges,” a commerce ministry assertion mentioned. The ministerial-level discussions reaffirmed the sturdy political resolve on both facet to handle pending points via constructive engagement and to work in direction of a complete, mutually advantageous end result.
Each side are aiming to conclude the negotiations in 2025 itself. The year-end deadline to wrap up the negotiations was set in February when the European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen visited India with the total faculty of commissioners.
Officers say that due to momentum in talks, the deal can be agreed to positively on the most by the primary quarter of 2026. In January India and EU will probably be holding their summit
An outline of FTA negotiations between India and EU
India and the EU resumed talks on a complete FTA in June 2022. Along with the principle settlement, either side are additionally negotiating offers on Geographical Indications and Funding Safety. The FTA covers 23 chapters or coverage areas.
“Of the 23 chapters underneath dialogue, 11 have already been closed. Necessary chapters nonetheless underneath negotiation embody market entry for vehicles, metal, sure elements of companies and investments and technical boundaries to commerce,” EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin on final Friday.
For the reason that relaunch, 14 formal rounds of negotiations on the FTA have taken place. Following the 14th spherical in October, the edges shifted to a format of steady negotiations, supplemented by conferences between high officers and political management to expedite progress.
The EU is urgent for vital obligation cuts on cars and medical gadgets, together with tax reductions on wine, spirits, meat, and poultry, in addition to a robust mental property framework. India, in the meantime, seeks duty-free entry for labor-intensive items and rising sectors corresponding to autos and electronics.
The FTA is taken into account essential, because the 27-member bloc is India’s largest buying and selling associate, with bilateral merchandise commerce totalling $136.2 billion, although the US stays the nation’s largest market. Exports to the EU stood at $75.8 billion in 2024-25, whereas imports had been $60.6 billion. Providers commerce can also be sturdy, reaching $70 billion in 2023, giving India a surplus of $9.25 billion.
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