EU's Foreign Affairs Committee chair expects India trade deal to take effect in 2027; sees Delhi playing constructive role on Ukraine

A free trade agreement between the European Union and India is expected to be formally signed by the middle of December, with parliamentary scrutiny likely to clear the way for it to enter into force in 2027, according to the chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

David McAllister, leading a delegation of eight MEPs on a visit to New Delhi, described the moment as “historic” for the bilateral relationship. Speaking to WION's Sidhant Sibal, after meetings with India’s External Affairs Minister and other senior officials, he said the EU and India were elevating their strategic partnership following the signing of a strategic agenda and a security and defence partnership.

“We are really bringing our strategic partnership to the next higher level,” McAllister said. “Hopefully the future agreement will be concluded by the middle of December. And hopefully we will be able to welcome Prime Minister Modi in Brussels.”

Once member states and India complete the official signature, the European Parliament will begin detailed scrutiny. “I believe that by spring the European Parliament will be able to conclude our scrutiny work, and then perhaps in the middle of 2027 it would then enter into force,” he said, adding that he expected “a broad majority” of support.

The deal, widely dubbed the “mother of all trade agreements,” would link India’s market of 1.5 billion consumers with the EU’s more than 450 million. McAllister framed it as a clear signal amid rising global protectionism and tariffs. “This free trade agreement brings together the huge market of India… and on the other hand the European Union… and it brings huge opportunities for businesses on both sides, opening markets, getting rid of barriers,” he said. He praised the negotiating teams and the high-level visits earlier in the year by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.

Also Read: ‘Ballot papers used, guess how many seats Congress won?’ PM Modi takes dig after party draws blank in MLC polls

Beyond trade, McAllister stressed shared interests as the world’s two largest democracies in defending a rules-based international order and multilateral cooperation. On security, he pointed to the already-signed defence partnership covering information-sharing, countering cyber-attacks and naval cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. “We want a free, open and safe Indo-Pacific; we want the freedom of navigation to be respected,” he said, citing EU-India work through Operation Atalanta as a potential model.

On the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, McAllister was unequivocal: the EU is “not neutral” and continues to support Kyiv militarily, financially and technically against what he called Russia’s “illegal war of aggression.” He welcomed any constructive initiatives to end the conflict, noting India’s longstanding ties with Moscow and contacts with Kyiv. “India has played, and I’m very sure India will continue to play, a constructive role,” he said, while insisting any settlement must be “just and sustainable” for Ukraine and include concrete security guarantees. He also highlighted the war’s wider impact, including the deaths of Indian sailors when commercial ships were targeted in the Black Sea.

On the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), disrupted by conflict in West Asia, McAllister called the concept “fascinating” for transport, shipping and digital links. “The strategy has been written; now the strategy needs to be implemented,” he said, urging concrete financing, projects and wider EU participation as a natural complement to the free trade agreement.