Stories
Piyush Goyal Meets EU Trade Commissioner, Reviews FTA Progress
- •Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting.
- •Goyal and Sefcovic reviewed progress towards the signing and entry into force of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
- •Discussions also covered the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, WTO reform, and shared G20 priorities.
- •The India-EU FTA, concluded in January after nearly two decades of negotiations, is expected to be signed later this year and implemented in early 2027.
- •Dubbed the ‘mother of all deals,’ the FTA aims to expand market access, reduce tariffs, address non-tariff barriers, and establish predictable trade rules between India and the EU.
Key Questions Answered
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting to review the progress towards signing and implementing the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. The European Commission formally requested the Council of the European Union to authorise the agreement's signing and conclusion on September 11, with the deal expected to be signed later this year and take effect in early 2027.
India and the EU concluded their free trade agreement in January 2026, marking a milestone nearly two decades after initial negotiations were launched in 2007.
Once effective, the FTA is expected to expand market access, reduce tariffs, address non-tariff barriers, and establish more predictable rules governing trade and investment. Both economies currently exchange goods and services valued at over 180 billion euros annually.
