EU Council Approves New Strategic Agenda with India, Pushes for Year-End FTA
The European Council has formally approved a ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’, providing a major boost to bilateral relations. The council specifically highlighted ongoing efforts to finalise a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of 2025.
Key Takeaways
- The European Council endorsed the new strategic agenda on October 20, 2025.
- Both sides are pushing to conclude a balanced and ambitious India-EU FTA by year-end.
- The partnership will cover trade, security, technology, and global challenges.
Ambitious Free Trade Agreement
The council welcomed efforts to conclude a “balanced, ambitious, mutually beneficial and economically meaningful free trade agreement.” It stated that the European Commission and Indian government aim to finalise the pact by December 2025.
“Such agreement must include enhanced market access, removal of trade barriers, and provisions on sustainable development,” the council said in its official statement. This FTA is seen as a cornerstone of the enhanced partnership.
Strengthening Security & Defence
Against an increasingly complex geopolitical backdrop, the council emphasised the importance of closer EU-India collaboration on security and defence based on mutual trust and respect.
“The council takes note of the intention to pursue work towards the establishment of a security and defence partnership, which could also facilitate defence industrial cooperation when appropriate,” it stated.
Global Cooperation & Shared Values
The EU will continue to engage with India on all aspects of “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” Both partners also emphasised their joint responsibility to safeguard multilateralism and the rules-based international order with the UN Charter at its core.
They committed to protecting the multilateral trading system, particularly the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The promotion of democratic values, international law, and human rights was described as “an intrinsic part of the EU-India strategic agenda.”
Foundation for a New Chapter
This development follows the landmark visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025, which laid the foundation for a “new chapter in EU-India relations.” This was the first such visit to the Indo-Pacific region.
During this visit, both sides committed to elevating their Strategic Partnership to address shared prosperity, security strengthening, and major global challenges collectively, as outlined in the Joint Communication.
