India-EU FTA moves one step closer to reality as European Commission moves to get it signed

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Leaders on both sides have repeatedly expressed their confidence that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement will come into force in early 2027. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The European Commission has forwarded the text of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement to the European Council for its signature and conclusion, signalling that the legal vetting and finalisation of the text have been completed and all that remains are the internal approvals.

“Today, the European Commission has put forward its proposals to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India, seeking authorisation for its signature and conclusion,” the Commission said in a statement on Friday (September 11, 2026). 

The EU’s Ambassador-designate to India and Bhutan Jean-Eric Paquet took to X to celebrate the achievement, saying this would “clear the path for early approval”, and adding that the full text of the agreement was now being made public.

The European Council is the top political body of the European Union, framing the grouping’s political goals. The European Commission acts as the EU’s executive body and proposes new laws. The European Parliament votes and passes these new laws. 

“With its proposals, the Commission is seeking Council’s approval to sign the agreements which will then require European Parliament’s consent, before conclusion and entry into force,” the statement said. “The Indian authorities are in parallel going through their own internal ratification procedures.”

It added that the proposal to sign and conclude the FTA text is in line with the fast-track procedure laid out by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič earlier this year. 

“The procedure aims at speeding up the implementation of FTAs, which is crucial at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and growing pressure on the global trading system,” the statement said. Leaders on both sides have repeatedly expressed their confidence that the FTA will come into force in early 2027.

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