India-EU FTA legal scrub to end in 10-12 days, deal by Dec. 31: Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal said the legal scrubbing of the India-EU free trade agreement should be completed in 10 to 12 days, adding a tighter timetable to the long-running negotiations over one of the bloc's biggest trade deals.

The Indian commerce and industry minister said the pact is expected to be signed by Dec. 31, according to reporting published on July 2. Earlier in June, he had said the agreement should be signed by December and could take effect in February or March 2027.

The latest comments suggest the agreement is moving through its final legal review, but it is not yet signed and still awaits the remaining procedural steps on both sides.

Latest timetable

The new milestone is the final legal scrub, which officials use to check the text before signature. Goyal's latest timeline points to completion within roughly two weeks, followed by a year-end signing target.

That is a more specific deadline than the earlier public guidance in June, when he said the deal should be signed by December and could begin to apply in early 2027.

Why it matters

The India-EU pact matters because it could reshape market access for exporters on both sides. Indian businesses would gain a clearer route into the European market, while European exporters would gain improved access to India.

The agreement has also been framed as strategically important at a time of wider trade tension and shifting global supply chains.

What happens next

The immediate milestones to watch are the completion of legal scrubbing and any formal confirmation from India or the European Union on the signing date.

Even if the text is signed by Dec. 31, the deal would still need the later ratification and implementation steps before it can take effect.