EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is in New Delhi for a two-day mission aimed at giving the long-pending India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations a decisive final push. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Director General for Trade Sabine Weyand and EU chief negotiator Christophe Kiener, in an effort to resolve the remaining “last-mile” issues before year-end.
Both sides are aiming to “substantially conclude” the FTA negotiations by the end of December, sources indicated. However, several sensitive matters remain under discussion, such as market access for European automobiles, EU import quotas on Indian steel, compliance with EU standards, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and India’s concerns on mobility for professionals.
Sefcovic posted on X on Monday, stating, “In India for a two-day marathon of meetings with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to advance our trade and investment negotiations. EU-India ties are growing fast — as they should between partners. But we’ve only scratched the surface. A commercially meaningful FTA would unlock enormous potential.”
Later in the day, the EU Trade Commissioner also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to review progress and underline the importance of continuous engagement. “Continued, steady engagement on both sides remains essential to reinforce momentum and deliver results from our trade and investment talks,” he noted after the meeting.
The EU delegation is expected to hold detailed discussions with senior Indian officials, including Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, to bridge the remaining gaps.
Sources indicate that both sides are keen to formally announce the FTA during the India–EU Summit scheduled in New Delhi, possibly on January 27, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top EU leadership.
India’s bilateral trade in goods with the EU stood at $136.53 billion in 2024–25, with exports of $75.85 billion and imports of $60.68 billion, making the EU India’s largest trading partner for goods.