A senior team of EU trade negotiators is in New Delhi from November 3–7 to advance India-EU free trade agreement discussions.
Talks will cover key areas such as trade in goods and services, rules of origin, and institutional frameworks.
India is expected to raise concerns over the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which could impact aluminium and steel exports.
India-EU FTA Discussions Accelerate as EU Envoys Arrive in New Delhi
The new round of talks would test whether the FTA will address the CBAM and the EU’s other regulations that increase the costs of market access
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A senior team of top trade negotiators from the European Union arrived in New Delhi on November 3 and will be holding the next round of talks with their Indian counterparts till November 7, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a press release on Monday. The bilateral talks with the bloc aim to resolve the “key outstanding issues” and progress the agreement toward a balanced and equitable framework that is mutually beneficial, the release said.
“Had a productive meeting with Maros Sefcovic, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and C. Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food,” Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal posted on his social media handle X after his virtual meeting. “Discussed strengthening the India–EU trade & investment ties, advancing the FTA, and deepening cooperation across priority areas.”
EU-India FTA Advancing
The visit of the EU negotiators follows Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s official trip to Brussels last week, where he held discussions with European Commissioners and reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to deepen engagement and work on a comprehensive trade framework.
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This week’s talks will focus on core areas, including trade in goods and services, rules of origin, and technical and institutional matters, the ministry said. Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade at the EU, will be in New Delhi on November 5 and 6 to hold talks with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal on key technical and policy issues.
Carbon Border Adjustment Measures and FTA
One of the key areas of discussion for India will be the bloc’s regulation on Carbon Border Adjustment Measures (CBAM) and other regulations, which would test the ongoing India-EU talks, Hindustan Times reported. The new round of talks would test whether the FTA will address the CBAM and the EU’s other regulations that increase the costs of market access. According to the report, these EU regulations are aimed at maintaining the cost competitiveness of its domestic industry. India’s exports of aluminium and steel are the ones to be hit by the EU CBAM.
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How the negotiators address these regulatory hurdles will be crucial in determining the pace and outcome of the long-pending India–EU free trade agreement.
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