India-EU trade pact talks need political directions for meaningful deal

The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) need political directions to reach a commercially meaningful deal while understanding each other's sensitivities, an official statement said on Thursday.

The pact came up for discussion during an interaction between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Ambassadors of the European Commission delegation.

Goyal said that both sides are aiming for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA.

"The FTA negotiations, after 9 rounds of intense engagement, need political directions to arrive at a  commercially meaningful deal while understanding the sensitivities of each other," the commerce and industry ministry said.

The minister also noted that any sustainability discussions must appreciate the principle of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)' and implementation of such measures should take into account differing paths of development.

These remarks assume significance as India has raised its concerns over the EU's carbon tax on certain sectors and deforestation regulation.

He added that the Indian economy is expected to grow at 7-8 per cent annually to become the third largest economy in the world over the next few years and after that rapid growth would help India's GDP to reach the milestone of $35 trillion by 2047.

Both sides also held discussions under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council. India is the only country, other than the US, with which the EU has such a mechanism.

India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU was $137.41 billion in 2023-24, making it the largest trading partner of India for goods.

In addition, the bilateral trade in services, in 2023, between India and the EU was estimated at $51.45  billion.

The trade agreement with the EU would help India expand and diversify its exports of goods and services while securing the value chains.

"India is seeking to forge balanced agreements with major world economies to increase its market share in global trade," it added.