- Negotiations
The European Union and India launched negotiations on a bilateral free trade and investment agreement in June 2007. However, between the governments, a number of controversies have been plaguing the talks. Delhi wants Brussels to relax its stringent food safety criteria which penalise Indian farm and fishery exports and to make it easier for Indian professionals to work in the EU. Europe is primarily out to win major openings of India’s services sector and broad liberalisation of foreign investment, while India does not want to discuss allowing European firms to compete in India’s government procurement market.
Indian social movements, including fisherfolk and labour unions, people living with HIV/AIDS and other health activists have been mobilizing against the FTA. International actions and campaigns have particularly targeted the proposed intellectual property provisions of the agreement, and the impact of the FTA on access to medicines.
last update: May 2012
Photo: MSF
5-Nov-2025
Financial Express
India and the European Union (EU) on Monday resumed negotiations on their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with a team from Brussels arriving here. The talks will last till the end of the week and may aim to sort out the remaining differences so that the deal is ready by the end of this year.
29-Oct-2025
The Times of India
The talks were described as productive, with both sides reviewing unresolved areas within the negotiations and identifying what they termed “possible landing zones” on pending issues.
27-Oct-2025
Live Mint
India and the EU have intensified efforts to finalize the long-awaited free-trade pact. A key sticking point is the EU’s demand for tighter origin norms to ensure third-country goods don’t enter the bloc through India.
21-Oct-2025
MSN
The European Union Council has given final approval for a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the EU, paving the way for the deal to be signed by the end of 2025. The move reflects a growing strategic alignment amid global economic and geopolitical challenges.
20-Oct-2025
Financial Express
India and the European Union (EU) will now remain continuously engaged at the chief negotiators’ level as the deadline for a free trade agreement approaches, and a real breakthrough remains elusive. However, there will be no more formal rounds of negotiations, after the 14th concluded in Brussels recently.
14-Oct-2025
Politico
India and the EU are intensifying their talks on a free-trade deal and will meet nonstop after making progress during a round of negotiations last week, the European Commission said.
6-Oct-2025
Financial Express
India and the EU resume the 14th round of Free Trade Agreement talks in Brussels, aiming for a December 2025 conclusion.
24-Sep-2025
Money Control
The thirteenth round of talks between India and the European Union for the proposed trade deal has seen little progress in sensitive sectors such as automotives and agricultural products, though both sides have cited better clarity on their market access demands for industrial and farm goods.
17-Sep-2025
Antara News
Indonesia, through Trade Minister Budi Santoso, has reiterated its strong support for advancing negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.
16-Sep-2025
Financial Express
India and the EU are fast-tracking FTA talks with an interim “early harvest” deal likely by year-end. With 60–65% chapters agreed, both sides push for market access, visa relaxations, and clarity on carbon tax exemptions amid global trade uncertainty.
