Overview

• The 13th round of FTA negotiations is underway in New Delhi this week alongside visits by EU Commissioners Christophe Hansen and Maroš Šefčovič.
• Two more negotiating rounds are scheduled within a month, including a 14th round in early October in Brussels, as both sides target concluding the agreement this year.
• Eleven chapters are provisionally closed, while unresolved issues include rules of origin, market access, non-tariff barriers, and duties on wine and dairy.
• The European Commission will release a new strategic vision for ties with India on September 17, with parallel talks advancing defence frameworks such as a security-of-information pact.
• A coordinated diplomatic push—an EU Political and Security Committee delegation in India, counter-terror talks on September 9, an EU Parliament trade panel visit in October, and TTC and Indo-Pacific meetings in November—is designed to secure political momentum for the deal.