Overview

• EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen are in the capital for meetings with Indian ministers alongside the 13th negotiating round.
• Roughly 11 chapters have been provisionally closed, while gaps persist on rules of origin, market access, technical and sanitary standards, and tariffs on sectors such as cars and spirits.
• India has excluded rice, sugar and dairy from the package, and both sides are evaluating services and investment offers exchanged in July to strike a balanced outcome.
• Another round is planned in Brussels in early October as both parties work toward concluding the free trade agreement by December.
• Parallel tracks include defence frameworks such as a security of information pact, an EU strategic vision release on September 17, counterterrorism talks, an EU Political and Security Committee visit, a Trade and Technology Council session, and an Indo-Pacific ministerial in November.