EU FTA to be comprehensive, not interim: Officials
India and the EU are negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement. It will not include an early harvest deal. Discussions are ongoing regarding Geographical Indications. Investment protection is also being discussed. Both sides are addressing concerns like the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism. India may impose retaliatory duties if the EU imposes a carbon tax.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
The India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) is likely to be a comprehensive one without any early harvest deal or a pact on Geographical Indications or an investment protection agreement, officials said.The two sides are also discussing if any exemptions or carve-outs can be given to India on the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and officials said talks on the issue were going on."The FTA will be a comprehensive one. These are dynamic issues," said an official.India and the EU aim to close the negotiations for the trade pact by the end of December. Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said the talks can be concluded earlier than that but there are certain sensitive issues on both sides that must be resolved.Separate negotiations for an Investment Protection Agreement and an Agreement on Geographical Indications since June 2022 are also underway.New Delhi has concerns related to certain practices and regulations of the EU such as CBAM and EUDR while the bloc held that India's quality control orders were a challenge. "On CBAM, talks are going on," said another official.India has already said it will impose retaliatory duties if the EU imposes carbon tax on Indian goods. The EU's CBAM is expected to translate into a 20-35% tax on select imports into the bloc from January 1, 2026, and will impact the cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertiliser, electricity and hydrogen sectors.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
14 minutes ago
- India.com
All-Party Delegation Calls On US Deputy Secretary Of State; Briefs Him On Pahalgam Attack, Op Sindoor
The all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, which is currently visiting the United States, briefed key interlocutors on threats of terrorism faced by India and India's strong response to it. The details were shared by the Embassy of India in the US in an official statement. As per the statement, the delegation called on Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and briefed him on the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, discussed India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, and put forth India's firm resolve to counter cross-border terrorism in all its forms. The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the United States' strong support of India in the fight against terrorism. The statement noted that the two sides also had a wide-ranging conversation on the importance of strengthening bilateral relationship through advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest. It was also mentioned that on Friday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor interacted with various members of the American press corps. The all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor attended the Ambassador's dinner while in US and also met Senator Chris Van Hollen, who is a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a post on X, Former Envoy Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, "Delighted to meet so many old friends and supporters of India-US partnership at Ambassador's dinner." Sharing insights from the meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said that discussions were held on Operation Sindoor and the tragic Pahalgam terror attack. He wrote on X, "Had a productive meeting with Senator @ChrisVanHollen, where we discussed the tragic Pahalgam attack and India's Operation Sindoor. The Senator expressed deep sympathy for India and reaffirmed that the U.S. stands firmly with India in the fight against terrorism." Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is leading the all-party delegation which includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. This diplomatic effort is part of India's global outreach following Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored militants that claimed 26 lives and injured several others.
NDTV
19 minutes ago
- NDTV
"India Will Never Countenance Perpetrators Of Evil Being...": S Jaishankar
New Delhi: India will never countenance "perpetrators of evil" being put on par with its victims and expects partners to understand its policy of "zero tolerance" against terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday during extensive talks with his British counterpart David Lammy. S Jaishankar's remarks, which seemed to be an attempt to send an unambiguous message to the global community, came against the backdrop of unease in New Delhi over several countries hyphenating India and Pakistan following their four-day clashes last month. Hours after landing in Delhi this morning, Lammy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who appreciated the UK's support for India's fight against cross-border terrorism. Following the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the British foreign secretary strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, while PM Modi underscored the need for a decisive international action against terrorism and those who support it. "Appreciate his substantive contribution to the remarkable progress in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, further strengthened by the recently concluded FTA. Value UK's support for India's fight against cross-border terrorism," the prime minister said in a social media post. PM Modi described the recent conclusion of the India-UK free trade pact and double contribution convention (DCC) as a "strategic milestone" that will unlock potential of the partnership in diverse sectors, according to the MEA. It said the prime minister conveyed his warm greetings to his UK counterpart Sir Keir Starmer and reiterated the invitation for his visit to India at the "earliest mutual convenience". In his televised opening remarks at the meeting with Lammy, S Jaishankar thanked the UK for its strong condemnation of the "barbaric" Pahalgam terror attack and London's solidarity and support to New Delhi's fight against terrorism. "We practise a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims," he said. It is understood that the Indian side explained India's challenge of dealing with cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The UK was among countries which were in touch with both India and Pakistan in an attempt to de-escalate their tensions during their military conflict from May 7-10. Lammy paid a two-day visit to Islamabad from May 16 during which he welcomed the May 10 understanding between India and Pakistan to stop the military actions. After the meeting, the British foreign secretary said: "We are advancing a new era in UK-India relations -- boosting trade and technology, tackling the climate crisis and providing greater security for our people." In his remarks, Jaishankar described the recent conclusion of the India-UK free trade agreement and the double contribution convention as "truly a milestone which will not only propel our two-way trade and investment but will also have a positive effect on other strategic aspects of our bilateral ties". As Lammy landed in Delhi, a British readout quoted him as saying: "We're building a modern partnership with India for a new global era." It said he will also welcome progress in "our migration partnership, including ongoing work on safeguarding citizens and securing borders in both countries". The MEA said the two ministers reviewed the overall bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction at the progress in diverse sectors, including trade, defence and security, technology, health, green energy and climate, education, and people-to-people ties under the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. Lammy's visit provided a valuable opportunity to sustain the high-level engagement and to further consolidate the partnership as both sides agreed to continue working closely to advance their shared objectives, it added. Addressing migration remains a top priority for the government and Lammy is focused on working internationally with global partners to secure the UK's borders at home, the British readout said. "India was one of my first visits as foreign secretary, and since then has been a key partner in the delivery of our 'Plan for Change'. Our relationship has gone from strength to strength -- securing our future technologies, adding over 25 billion pounds in trade every year between our countries and deepening the strong links between our cultures and people," he said. Lammy said the signing of the free trade agreement with India is just the start of the ambitions for the two countries. "We're building a modern partnership with India for a new global era. We want to go even further to foster an even closer relationship and cooperate when it comes to delivering growth, fostering innovative technology, tackling the climate crisis and delivering our migration priorities, and providing greater security for our people," he was quoted in the readout. The British foreign secretary was also scheduled to meet leading figures in Indian business to discuss how both sides can unlock greater investment by Indian business in the UK. In 2023-24, India was the UK's second largest source of investments in terms of number of projects for the fifth consecutive year. In his remarks, Jaishankar listed various initiatives which were rolled out recently to bolster the ties. "Since your last visit to India, there have been significant initiatives which both of us have taken and those initiatives have progressed well." Jaishankar singled out the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) and said it will enable deeper collaboration in strategic technology sectors of AI, semiconductors, telecom, quantum, health-tech, bio-tech, critical minerals and advanced materials. "We have also launched the strategic exports and technology cooperation dialogue, the first meeting of which was held, I believe, this week. "This will enhance among others the TSI's effectiveness in promoting trade in critical and emerging technologies, including the resolution of relevant licensing or regulatory issues," he said. Jaishankar also pointed to the UK-India infrastructure financial bridge and said it can unlock quality long-term capital flows from the United Kingdom to India, and that would surely contribute to our infrastructure development. "There is very good collaboration in the education sector with many more universities, I believe, planning to establish their campuses in India, and on the people-to-people ties front, we had the privilege -- I myself had the honour - to open two new consulates in Manchester and Belfast," he said. The overall focus of the talks was to further deepen and diversify India-UK partnership.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Lammy meets PM Modi, pushes UK-India counter-terrorism cooperation and trade deal
British Foreign Minister David Lammy is the highest-profile Western official to have visited both New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire last month after their worst fighting in nearly three decades. read more Britain and India held talks on strengthening their counter-terrorism cooperation in the wake of recent cross-border clashes between India and Pakistan, UK Foreign Minister David Lammy told Reuters on Saturday following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lammy's visit makes him the most senior Western official to travel to both New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian rivals agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, ending their most intense period of conflict in nearly 30 years. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi for your warm welcome to India. Building on the free trade agreement between our great countries, we will continue working together to deepen our partnership, celebrate our unique living bridge, and deliver growth and security. — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 7, 2025 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the need for decisive international action against terrorism and those supporting it in a meeting with Lammy. The Prime Minister's Office said Lammy strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. PM Modi expressed satisfaction at the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement and Double Contribution Convention and appreciated the constructive engagement by both sides that led to this milestone. Pleased to meet UK Foreign Secretary Mr. David Lammy. Appreciate his substantive contribution to the remarkable progress in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, further strengthened by the recently concluded FTA. Value UK's support for India's fight against cross-border… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 7, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The PMO statement said Modi welcomed the growing momentum in bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He welcomed the continued collaboration under the Technology Security Initiative and noted its potential to shape trusted and secure innovation ecosystems. Tensions had surged in April after 26 people were killed in India's Kashmir, an incident India blamed on Pakistan-backed militants, which Islamabad denied. In response, India launched strikes on what it described as terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan, prompting retaliatory moves and escalation until both countries agreed to halt hostilities. 'We want the situation to be maintained, but of course we recognise fragility, particularly in the backdrop of terrorism, terrorism designed to destabilise India,' Lammy said in an interview at the residence of the British High Commissioner in New Delhi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are keen to continue to work with our Indian partners on counter-terrorism measures.' He said he discussed the next steps with both Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, but gave no specifics. Last year, India and Britain discussed combating the financing of terrorism, cooperation between law enforcement and judicial bodies and information sharing. Lammy said he also discussed boosting trade between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies. The countries concluded talks for a free trade deal early last month. 'I know that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is very much looking forward to coming to India very soon to sign the free trade agreement,' Lammy said. 'There is so much that our two nations can continue to do together.' With inputs from agencies
