David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told NDTV that the EU‑India free trade agreement will be signed by December 2026 in Brussels.
The pact follows 19 years of negotiations that began in 2007 and were announced in January 2026 by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Antonio Costa.
McAllister met India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier that week, describing the minister as "highly respected in Europe" and noting that the two sides have already signed a security and defence partnership agreement.
Once signed, the European Parliament will review the agreement and, if cleared in spring, the deal could enter force by summer, McAllister said.
A Mumbai‑based exporter, Arjun Patel, said he will expand German shipments once the tariff barriers lift, citing the pact as a "lifeline for small businesses".