Overview
- Piyush Goyal concluded a two-day visit to Brussels on January 9 after meeting EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to advance the India–EU FTA.
- Both sides reiterated commitment to a rules-based framework that protects farmers and MSMEs and reported steady progress on Market Access for Goods, Rules of Origin, and Services.
- Negotiators were directed to resolve outstanding issues, with differences persisting on tariff cuts, market access, and intellectual property provisions.
- The ministerial talks followed January 6–7 stocktaking meetings between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and European Commission DG Trade Sabine Weyand to narrow divergences.
- The acceleration of talks is timed to the EU leadership’s Republic Day presence on January 26 and a planned India–EU Summit on January 27.