The EU and India aim to sign a free trade agreement by the end of the year

By Peggy Corlin & video by Aida Sanchez-Alonso

As Donald Trump threatens the European Union with caller tariffs connected goods, the EU is desperately seeking caller trading partners. India mightiness beryllium 1 of them. Both blocs announced connected Friday that a escaped commercialized statement would beryllium signed by the extremity of the year.

“A escaped commercialized statement betwixt the EU and India would beryllium the largest woody of this benignant anyplace successful the world,” president of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen said connected Friday from New Dehli, adding: “This is wherefore we person agreed with Prime Minister Modi to propulsion to get it done during this year.”

The commercialized dialog docket is ambitious, whereas the past 2 decades person produced small successful the mode of results. Started successful 2007, the talks were frozen for a decennary betwixt 2013 and 2022.

But Europeans are making it a precedence successful an progressively uncertain geopolitical context, wherever alliances are made and broken. “I americium good alert it volition not beryllium easy” von der Leyen said, “but I besides cognize that timing and determination counts, and that this concern comes astatine the close infinitesimal for some of us.”

The EU hopes to get entree to the India marketplace for its cars and spirits, contempt precocious India tariffs. It besides anticipation to reason soon an statement connected concern and  Geographical Indications.

The EU is expecting hard negotiations connected agriculture. It's a delicate contented for Europeans, whose farmers fearfulness unfair contention from non-European importers, and besides for India, whose cultivation strategy is based connected tiny standard farms.

India volition surely not beryllium an casual negotiating spouse for the Europeans, who hazard being accused of protectionist biology rules. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU greenish authorities that applies to imports successful the EU, is notably an issue. “These are just measures, WTO compatible” a elder EU authoritative said,  “these are illegitimate concerns that we are acceptable to address.”