European Parliament's Trade Committee Concludes Three-Day India Mission on Bilateral FTA

The Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament concluded an intensive three-day visit to India from October 27-29, 2025, marking a significant engagement between European and Indian leadership during critical negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. The mission brought together seven Members of the European Parliament with Indian Ministers and parliamentary representatives to advance mutual understanding on bilateral economic cooperation.​

Leadership and Delegation Composition

The delegation was led by two co-chairs: Cristina Maestre, the INTA Standing Rapporteur for India, and Brando Benifei, the S&D INTA coordinator. Angelika Niebler, Chair of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with India, was also part of the visiting team. The seven-member delegation additionally comprised Juan Ignacio Zoido, Waldemar Buda, Barry Cowen, and Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, representing diverse political groups across the European Parliament.​

Ministerial Engagements

The INTA delegation held meetings with three key Indian Ministers focused on advancing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial EU-India Free Trade Agreement.​

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal engaged with the delegation to discuss outstanding issues related to the ongoing FTA negotiations, building upon his recent productive meetings with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič in Brussels from October 26-28.​

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with the INTA delegation on October 28, with discussions centred on enhancing India-EU trade and investment ties, with both sides looking forward to deeper and mutually beneficial cooperation. The Finance Ministry statement indicated that the meeting focused on exploring ways to enhance trade partnerships and attract investments to support long-term economic stability.​

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the delegation to discuss how India and the European Union can maximise convergences and deepen cooperation. Jaishankar underscored that early conclusion of the India-EU FTA can stabilise the global economy and strengthen democratic forces, emphasising the strategic importance of the partnership.​

Stakeholder Engagement and Parliamentary Interactions

Beyond ministerial meetings, the delegation engaged extensively with various stakeholders to gather first-hand information on opportunities and challenges posed by the ongoing trade negotiations. Members of the European Parliament held meetings with representatives from the Indian Parliament, contributing to parliamentary-level dialogue.​

The delegation met with the Federation of European Business in India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to understand business perspectives on the proposed FTA. Civil society organisations working on sustainability issues provided input on environmental and social considerations in the trade agreement. The delegation also held discussions with workers' and employers' representatives and organisations focused on labour rights, reflecting the comprehensive nature of the negotiations.​

Timing and Context

The three-day visit coincided with a critical juncture in FTA negotiations, arriving just months before the December 2025 deadline to conclude the agreement. The mission emphasised the mutual interest of both sides in reaching a meaningful bilateral agreement and protecting the rules-based multilateral trade order. The International Trade Committee, through this visit, has been carefully scrutinising the negotiations, with any final agreement requiring the European Parliament's consent.​

The delegation's statement prior to the visit noted that the main objective was to contribute to increasing mutual understanding amid intensive trade negotiations between the EU and India. Both co-chairs, Cristina Maestre and Brando Benifei, stated that the mission aimed to discuss outstanding issues at stake as both sides worked toward a balanced trade pact.