SUMMARY :

• The European Commission submitted the EU-India FTA to the Council for signature and conclusion, paving the way for duty-free trade in sporting goods; FESI is advocating for the swift ratification of the deal.

More details :

On 11th September the European Commission submitted its proposals to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement.

If approved by the Council, this would mark a major milestone in EU-India trade relations and pave the way for the signature of what would be the largest trade agreement ever concluded by both partners.

For the sporting goods industry, the agreement would bring significant market access benefits. Once adopted and entered into force, the EU would fully liberalise imports of apparel, footwear and sporting goods from India from day one. Please see the attached EU tariff liberalisation schedule and product-specific rules of origin for further details.

Similarly to the EU-Indonesia FTA, the Commission has proposed a fast-track language procedure, with English as the sole authentic language in the event of disputes between the parties. The objective is to allow signature of the agreement by the end of the year.

FESI strongly welcomes this positive development and will continue advocating for the swift ratification of the agreement in its engagement with Member States and MEPs.

For further information, please see the Commission press release and Q&A.