India, EU reaffirm commitment to comprehensive and balanced trade pact

New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) India and the European Union (EU) had a week-long discussion as part of the ongoing effort for a comprehensive and balanced trade agreement, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday.  

A team of negotiators from the EU visited India to have a comprehensive discussion on the proposed free-trade agreement (FTA).

"A senior team of negotiators from the European Union (EU) visited New Delhi from November 3 to 7, 2025, for negotiations with Indian counterparts on the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA)," the ministry said in a statement.

The week-long discussions were part of ongoing efforts to advance negotiations towards a comprehensive, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade agreement.

The deliberations covered a wide range of chapters, including goods, services, investment, trade, sustainable development, rules of origin, and technical trade barriers, the statement noted.

As part of the negotiations, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal held detailed meetings with the European Commission's Director General for Trade, Sabine Weyand, to take stock of the progress achieved across negotiating tracks.

The two-day stocktake meetings, held on November 5–6 in New Delhi, reviewed key outstanding issues in the India–EU FTA negotiations. Both sides agreed to further accelerate efforts towards achieving a balanced trade agreement.

The Commerce Secretary reaffirmed India’s commitment to achieving an outcome that promotes economic growth and development while ensuring a fair and balanced distribution of benefits.

He also emphasised the need for clarity and predictability in the implementation of emerging EU regulatory measures, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the proposed new steel regulation.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the substantive progress made across several negotiating areas and agreed to sustain the positive momentum. The discussions helped narrow divergences, and a common understanding was reached on many issues.

The importance of continued technical-level engagement in the coming weeks was underscored to bridge remaining gaps and work towards the shared objective of concluding the India–EU FTA negotiations at the earliest.

The negotiations and stocktake meetings reflected the strong commitment on both sides to deepen the India–EU partnership and to finalise an ambitious and forward-looking agreement that fosters resilient, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth.

--IANS

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