EU negotiators in New Delhi from November 3 to 7 to advance FTA talks

FTA

A senior team of negotiators from the European Union (EU) has arrived in New Delhi for negotiations with the India counterparts from November 3 to 7 on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

“The engagements aim to resolve key outstanding issues and advance the agreement toward a balanced and equitable framework that benefits both sides,” the commerce ministry said in a release on November 3.

The negotiations gained momentum with a virtual meeting between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and EU’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefcović and Agriculture & Food Commissioner, Christophe Hansen on November 3, the release added.

Deliberations during the week will focus on core areas, including trade in goods and services, rules of origin amongst others along with technical and institutional matters.

As part of the visit, Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade at the European Commission will be in New Delhi on November 5–6 November for high-level talks with India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal on key technical and policy issues.

“The discussions are guided by a shared vision of a modern, robust, and future-ready FTA that reflects the priorities and sensitivities of both India and the EU,” the release said.

This delegation of senior EU negotiators follows Piyush Goyal’s official tour to Brussels last week, during which talks with Maroš Šefcović significantly reduced outstanding issues on the free trade deal.

In February 2025, India and the EU decided to ramp up talks for the proposed FTA, targeting to close it by the end of 2025 to tide over ongoing disruptions from volatile trade policies.