The EU International Trade Committee delegation will visit India from October 27-29 to discuss trade, economic and investment relations.
It will be led by Cristina Maestre, permanent rapporteur of the commission for India, and Brando Benifei.
“The main objective of this visit is to contribute to increasing our mutual understanding in the context of intense trade negotiations between the EU and India,” Maestre and Benifei said in a statement.
“The mission comes at a good time, just months before the deadline to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025,” they said.
“We look forward to discussing the issues at stake as both sides have a mutual interest in reaching a meaningful bilateral agreement and protecting the rules-based multilateral trading order,” they added. Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing the trade deal by December. The European Union is India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral merchandise trade reaching $135 billion in the 2023-24 financial year. The FTA is expected to significantly strengthen bilateral trade ties.
India and the EU concluded the 14th round of FTA negotiations in Brussels on October 10.
Following the negotiations, the EU said the discussions were focused on consolidating an economically meaningful market access package.
“Progress has been made in outstanding areas, particularly on the SPS chapter, which has been closed,” the statement said.
The two sides have already concluded negotiations on 11 chapters including customs and trade facilitation, dispute resolution, digital trade, sustainable food system, small and medium enterprises, competition, subsidies and capital movements.
The delegation of Members of the European Parliament will also engage with various stakeholders to receive first-hand information on the opportunities and challenges posed by these trade negotiations.
Committee members are expected to meet ministerial and parliamentary officials, as well as the Federation of European Businesses in India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The delegation will also meet with civil society organizations working on sustainable development issues, representatives of workers and employers as well as organizations working on labor rights, according to an EU statement.
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