European Council approves ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’, efforts to conclude FTA

The European Council on Monday, 20 October 2025, approved the conclusions on the ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’ previously announced by the European Commission and welcomed the “strong impetus” it provides for relations between the European Union and India.

The Belgium-based council, which is responsible for the overall political direction and priorities of the 27-member economic bloc, highlighted efforts by both sides to sign an India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of the year.

The conclusions reached this week confirm the Joint Communication on the new agenda and the aim to deepen EU-India ties, including on prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, connectivity and global issues.

“The Council particularly welcomes the efforts of the European Commission and the government of India to conclude a balanced, ambitious, mutually beneficial and economically meaningful free trade agreement, which they aim to conclude by the end of the year,” the Council said in a statement.

“Such an agreement should include increased market access, removal of trade barriers and provisions on sustainable development,” he said.

The European Council noted that closer cooperation between the EU and India on security and defense issues, based on the principles of mutual trust and respect, is particularly important in the face of an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

“The Council takes into account its intention to continue working towards the establishment of a security and defense partnership that could also facilitate defense industry cooperation where appropriate,” the council said.

It was stated that the EU will continue to engage with India regarding all aspects of “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”. He also emphasized the shared capacity and responsibility of the EU and India to safeguard multilateralism and the rules-based international order with the UN Charter at its core, as well as the multilateral trading system, especially the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“Promoting and protecting democratic values ​​and norms, international law and human rights, including the rights of women and children, is an integral part of the EU-India strategic agenda,” the statement said.

The Council called on the European Commission to advance the articulation and implementation of this ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’, building on the priorities set out in the Joint Communication last month.

This visit follows the visit of the EU Board of Commissioners to India in February this year, which laid the foundation for a “new page in EU-India relations”.

During this landmark visit, the first of its kind to the Indo-Pacific, both sides are committed to elevating the Strategic Partnership to a higher level to enhance shared prosperity, strengthen security and tackle major global challenges together, the Joint Communiqué said.