EU and India chase down trade deal with wrangling over food

Published connected 11/09/2025 - 11:21 GMT+2 •Updated 11:28

Late insertion of nutrient and workplace issues connected the docket of an EU delegation landing successful New Delhi contiguous suggests the talks connected a aboriginal commercialized woody betwixt the brace are present precise advanced, according to sources successful Brussels.

Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen has joined Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič successful New Delhi “to correspond the cultivation aspects and support EU farmers’ interests”, an EU authoritative confirmed.

The brace volition stay successful the Indian superior until time for high-level discussions with their counterparts connected a commercialized agreement, with the superior docket focused connected security, defence, and overseas argumentation issues.

The precocious summation of nutrient and workplace issues onto the docket — typically 1 of the trickiest successful commercialized deals — is being work successful Brussels arsenic a motion the negotiations are nearing the "end game", 1 root acquainted with the contented said.

An EU authoritative told Euronews that the wide agri-food marketplace entree connection progressive successful immoderate statement would beryllium discussed on with negotiations connected the EU-India Geographical Indications (GIs) agreement, and wide practice with India connected cultivation matters.

Other EU sources said that sanitary and phytosanitary standards, nationalist procurement, and non-tariff barriers mightiness diagnostic successful the discussion. Some of the thorniest issues — specified arsenic vino and spirits, processed cultivation products, dairy, sustainability commitments, and concern visas — are besides expected to diagnostic successful the talks.

“This feels similar the opening of the extremity — to paraphrase Churchill,” 1 seasoned EU commercialized negotiator told Euronews.

The erstwhile EU authoritative noted that politicians similar Commissioners usually intervene astatine the commencement of talks, midway through, and astatine the last stage. “Now it’s measurement 3 retired of 4 — the infinitesimal that needs a governmental gathering to finalise and hold connected cardinal numbers,” the erstwhile authoritative said.

India will request compromise from the EU connected agriculture — an contented that besides proved contentious successful its negotiations with the US.

“India fears unfair contention from overseas importers, arsenic its agriculture is mostly subsistence-based and dominated by tiny farms,” said Anunita Chandrasekar, from the Centre for European Reform.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited New Delhi successful February to reinvigorate the partnership, with the purpose of sealing a commercialized woody by year’s end.

The talks travel against a backdrop of shifting planetary commercialized tensions. Washington’s assertive tariff argumentation has nudged India and the EU closer, adjacent arsenic the US presses Brussels to authorisation New Delhi implicit its purchases of Russian oil.

Another sticking constituent is the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which India denounces arsenic “green protectionism.”

“It’s seen arsenic a tariff connected a processing economy,” Chandrasekar explained. “Many of India’s largest export sectors, specified arsenic alloy and aluminium, are highly carbon-intensive.”

Experts suggest that Brussels and New Delhi mightiness find a way guardant by borrowing from the EU-Mercosur agreement, which includes a “rebalancing” clause allowing parties to reopen talks if unilateral commercialized barriers are introduced.

For now, negotiators are sharpening their pencils. The existent numbers — and the existent compromises — whitethorn not travel until the precise past round.