India and the European Union (EU) have reaffirmed their commitment to conclude the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025, and a high-level EU delegation is expected to visit India next week to discuss the modalities.
The Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday that the EU technical team, led by the Director-General of Trade, would travel to India to work towards a “constructive conclusion” of the deal based on potential solutions identified over the past two days.
The visit will follow the conclusion of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s three-day visit to Brussels to discuss the issue.
India said the minister had “productive and meaningful” engagements with Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and his team. The discussions focused on outstanding issues related to the ongoing India-EU FTA negotiations.
“Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to conclude the India-EU FTA by the end of 2025, following the instructions of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ms. Ursula von der Leyen during the visit of the College of Commissioners to New Delhi in February 2025. The commitment focused on achieving a mutually beneficial, balanced and fair trade agreement, reflecting the depth of political trust and strategic ties between India and the European Union, and at the same time respecting the sensitivities and priorities of each person,” the ministry said in a press release.
Goyal also warned that European businesses could face an “existential problem” if these regulations (he mentioned 73) were not adequately addressed.
The statement said India recognizes the importance of ensuring that the FTA addresses both tariff and non-tariff barriers and results in transparent and predictable regulatory frameworks that accelerate trade.
“There was intensive engagement to explore possible landing zones on outstanding issues. There was also a good discussion on India’s concerns regarding non-tariff measures and new EU regulations. During the negotiations, the minister emphasized preferential treatment for labour-intensive sectors. Both sides agreed to work closely to finalize non-sensitive industrial tariff lines. They also agreed that issues related to steel, automobiles, CBAM and other EU regulations still require further discussions due to higher sensitivities,” the ministry said.
He added that India looks forward to working closely with the EU to turn this vision into reality through a “balanced, fair and meaningful” agreement and a collective commitment to peace and prosperity.
India has reportedly invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to attend next year’s Republic Day celebrations.
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