India-European Union talks gather pace; EU trade negotiators to visit on Nov 3

Goyal said that the talks have “significantly reduced outstanding issues” between India and the EU and allowed both partners to create the framework that will help deliver a win-win for India and the EU.

“The negotiations and discussions have laid the foundation for a robust and balanced agreement, which will significantly support businesses on both sides and add to the potential for mutual growth. The efforts of our teams have been truly commendable. I look forward to welcoming my friend Maros Sefcovic and the EU team again soon, as we work together to bring this dialogue to fruition,” Goyal said.

Ahead of the 15th round of negotiations likely early November, a delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) is already on a two-day visit to India. This seven-member delegation is led by Cristina Maestre, who is the INTA Standing Rapporteur for India, and Brando Benifei, the INTA coordinator.

A visit by INTA officials assumes significance as they play a key role in concluding the EU’s trade agreements. An INTA rapporteur is tasked with drafting a report that includes a recommendation for the European Parliament’s vote. An EU statement said that the main objective of this visit is to contribute to increasing mutual understanding amid intensive trade negotiations between the EU and India.

“The mission is timely, taking place just a few months ahead of the deadline to conclude negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2025. We look forward to discussing the issues at stake as both sides have a mutual interest in reaching a meaningful bilateral agreement and in protecting the rules-based multilateral trade order,” the statement said.

While India and the EU have concluded several chapters, including digital services, both trade partners have differed on key areas, including automobiles and agriculture. A EU status report on negotiations in September said that high-level interventions by senior EU officials with Indian authorities were useful in better understanding each side’s position, but did not “allow sufficient progress in sensitive areas such as automotives and agricultural products”.

“The focus of negotiators was, as in previous recent rounds, to advance on the core pillars of a future agreement with the aim of getting closer to an economically meaningful market access package. While some progress was made in certain outstanding areas, in particular on rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and investment, no additional chapter could be closed this time,” the report said.

The European Commission, in a report to the European Parliament, had said that the EU is India’s largest trading partner, while India is the EU’s largest one in the Global South. In 2024, bilateral trade in goods reached €120 billion – an increase of nearly 90 per cent over the past decade, and around 6000 European companies operate in India.