“European trade negotiators have finally found the fast lane. India and the European Union concluded a landmark agreement after nearly two decades of on-and-off talks. The deal marks another major step in the EU’s push towards more strategic independence. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, with Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, President of the European Council and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The EU is chasing autonomy one deal at a time.
Just two weeks after the Mercosur deal was finally signed, following more than 25 years of negotiations, the EU concluded another major trade agreement nearly two decades in the making. During a brief visit to India, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen finalised negotiations for the “mother of all deals”, as she nicknamed the EU-India free trade agreement. The EU, the third-largest internal market (after China and India), has now entered a trade agreement with one of the world’s largest economies, with more than 1.4 billion people and a GDP of approximately €3.4 trillion. Currently, India is the EU’s ninth-largest trading partner by total trade in goods.”
Morten W. Langer
