Different forecasts for when the India-European Union free trade agreement could begin underscore the approvals still ahead, with one official citing March or April 2027 and another projecting midyear.
European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister told The Times of India in an Oct. 29 interview that he expects the agreement to be signed by mid-December 2026, followed by Parliament’s consent vote in spring 2027 and entry into force around midyear. McAllister said he hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend a signing ceremony in Brussels.
Negotiations concluded Jan. 27, 2026. On Sept. 11, the European Commission sent proposals to the Council of the European Union seeking authorization to sign and conclude the agreement. EU governments must approve the signing, the European Parliament must consent, and the Council must complete the EU’s final approval. India also has to ratify the pact.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in Berlin on Oct. 23 that India hopes to sign by year-end and begin the pact in March or April 2027, according to Moneycontrol. The two timelines differ, and the agreement’s formal approval steps remain outstanding.
The European Commission estimates the pact would lower or remove duties on 96.6% of EU goods exports to India, cutting exporters’ annual tariff costs by as much as €4 billion. It identifies fisheries, chemicals, textiles, footwear and pharmaceuticals among Indian sectors positioned to benefit. EU tariffs would remain on sensitive products including beef, poultry, rice and sugar. The agreement also allows temporary safeguards if a significant increase in imports under the pact causes or threatens serious injury to domestic industry.
In a Jan. 27 summit statement, EU and Indian leaders connected the agreement with efforts to strengthen commercial ties and diversify supply networks. Talks began in 2007, were suspended in 2013 and resumed in 2022. The two sides are also pursuing separate agreements on investment protection and geographical indications. The next formal EU step is the Council’s decision on the Commission’s Sept. 11 proposals.
