The European Commission on Friday moved the text of the India-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) to the EU Council for approval, paving the way for the two sides to sign the deal in December, as reiterated by both the economies on several instances.
“If authorized by the Council, this will be the largest trade agreement ever concluded by both the EU and India,” the European Commission said in a statement.
“Once adopted and entered into force, the agreement will improve market access, reduce tariffs, tackle unnecessary barriers to trade, as well as provide predictable rules for trade and investment between the EU and India,” it said.
The move comes as the EU seeks to accelerate implementation of trade agreements amid geopolitical uncertainty and growing pressure on the global trading system. The Commission said the proposal follows a fast-track procedure announced earlier this year by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic to speed up implementation of FTAs.
India and the EU concluded negotiations for the FTA, often described as the “mother of all deals” because of its scale, in January. Since then, officials from both sides have been engaged in legal scrubbing of the text.
Under the trade deal, India has offered tariff concessions on 86 per cent of tariff lines, while the EU has offered liberalisation on 97 per cent of tariff lines. Brussels has also set a goal of doubling European exports to India by 2032 after the conclusion of the deal.
In 2025-26 (FY26), India had a trade surplus of around $6 billion with the EU, as imports from the region stood at $66 billion.
After the signing, the deal will require the consent of the European Parliament before it can enter into force.
Indian authorities, meanwhile, are undertaking their own internal ratification procedures, the Commission said. In India, the agreement will require approval from the Union Cabinet, followed by the nod of President Droupadi Murmu, before it can be implemented.
Both sides aim to implement the trade pact in the first half of 2027.
