Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper ) – European Union and India are set to launch the tenth round of talks on a proposed free trade agreement in Brussels. The move comes amid alarm over potential tariff threats from the Trump administration.
India and the EU block will start the tenth round of negotiations for a mooted free trade agreement from Monday in Brussels against the backdrop of Trump tariff threats, an official said.
Negotiations are likely to focus on clearing outstanding matters so that the arrangement is finalised by the end of this year.
In the recent visit by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, both sides have discussed mechanisms on how to speed up measures towards a balanced and mutually advantageous trade agreement.
What are the focal points in India-EU trade talks?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month agreed to finalise the ambitious India-EU free trade agreement by this year following concerns over the Trump administration’s threat of increased tariffs.
The two sides are scheduled to hold the tenth round of negotiations for the FTA from March 10-14 in Brussels,
the official stated.
In June 2022, the EU and India resumed the negotiations after a hiatus of over eight years. It was delayed in 2013 due to differences over the status of opening up of the markets. The two sides are also arranging an investment protection deal and an agreement on Geographical Indications (GIs).
In the opinion of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), key sticking issues include agricultural tariffs, particularly on dairy and wine import commitments, automobile tariffs, and regulatory obstacles affecting labour-intensive contents.
India is unwilling to lower auto import duties and is careful about committing to EU demands on sustainability and labour averages, it stated, saying that services trade remains another contested domain, with India aiming for easier mobility for professionals and data security recognition under the EU’s GDPR framework (European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation).
