\n<\/p>\n
Hannah Ellis-Petersen<\/span><\/p>\n South Asia correspondent India, the world\u2019s largest country with a population of 1.4 billion, is also one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing economies<\/strong> and is on track to become its fourth-largest economy this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.<\/p>\n <\/span>Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and European Council president Antonio Costa shake hands during a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India.<\/span> Photograph: Altaf Hussain\/Reuters<\/p>\n The deal is one of the most comprehensive that India has ever signed<\/strong> and Narendra Modi emphasised that it represented about a third of global trade, calling it the \u201cbiggest free trade deal in history\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis agreement has brought massive opportunities for 1.4 billion Indians and millions of people in European countries,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has become a wonderful example of synergy<\/strong> between two of the world\u2019s major economies.\u201d<\/p>\n Trade talks between the two countries began as far back as 2007<\/strong> but were abandoned owing to disputes over access to cars, agriculture and dairy.<\/p>\n However, they were resumed again in 2022<\/strong> and accelerated with gusto over the past six months in the face of heavy punitive tariffs by Donald Trump\u2019s administration<\/strong> in the US and joint concerns over China\u2019s monopoly over global manufacturing and the country\u2019s restrictions on key exports.<\/p>\n According to officials, the formal signing of the deal will take place later this year and it could come into play by early next year.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Iranian state media is reporting that Iran\u2019s foreign ministry has summoned Italy\u2019s ambassador over Rome\u2019s efforts to place the Revolutionary Guards on the European Union\u2019s terrorist register<\/strong>, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s foreign ministry called upon the Italian foreign minister to \u201ccorrect his ill-considered approaches toward Iran\u201d and warned of the \u201cdestructive consequences\u201d of any labelling against the Revolutionary Guards.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Finnish president Alexander Stubb is the latest European leader to welcome the new EU-India trade deal confirmed this morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n He said it was a \u201chistoric\u201d agreement,<\/strong> and will \u201cfurther intensify our economic and political ties with India.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn these times, it is important for both the EU and Finland to strengthen partnerships<\/strong> all over the globe,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n His comments come as Finland\u2019s prime minister Petteri Orpo<\/strong> is in Beijing for separate talks with China, with Reuters noting that US president Donald Trump\u2019s volatile foreign policy decisions and confrontational approach toward allies push European countries to diversify their foreign relations.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n France has pushed back on Nato secretary general Mark Rutte\u2019s suggestion that Europe is not in a position to defend itself without the US.<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking in the European parliament on Monday, Rutte said told EU lawmakers that if they thought the EU or Europe as whole could defend itself without the US, they should \u201ckeep on dreaming\u201d (Europe Live, Monday).<\/p>\n In a rare public rebuke, French foreign minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot<\/strong> disagreed with him on X, stressing \u201cEuropeans can and must take charge of their own security.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEven the United States agrees. It is the European pillar of Nato,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The European Commission also slightly distanced itself from Rutte\u2019s comments this afternoon, pointing to the EU\u2019s commitment to \u201cbecome increasingly resilient \u2026 and independent on various fronts,\u201d including energy, critical raw materials, and security.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really pulling together a number of measures with one aim, which is \u2026 that we can all really, on various fronts, ensure such gradual independence,\u201d commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho<\/strong> said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The European Commission has just responded to the Slovak and Hungarian threat of legal action against its policy to phase out Russian gas imports<\/strong> (12:14).<\/p>\n Energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen<\/strong> told journalists at the daily midday briefing that the bloc\u2019s objective \u201cis never to end up in a situation where any of our member states legally challenge our legislation,\u201d but to work with the member states instead.<\/p>\n But the countries can challenge the policy if they want to, and \u201cwe will be there to defend our position.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe really stand by the legislation, and there is solid legal work behind [it], so we are also very confident that we are in a position to defend the legislation that has been widely endorsed by the member states,\u201d chief spokesperson Paula Pinho<\/strong> added.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he wanted to target 2027 for Ukraine\u2019s accession to the European Union.<\/strong><\/p>\n In a brief update after his phone call with Austrian chancellor Christian Stocker, Zelenskyy said that \u201cUkraine\u2019s accession to the European Union is one of the key security guarantees not only for us, but also for all of Europe.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAfter all, Europe\u2019s collective strength is possible, in particular, thanks to Ukraine\u2019s security, technological, and economic contributions. That is why we are speaking about a concrete date \u2013 2027 \u2013 and we count on partners\u2019 support for our position,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy also said he spoke with Stocker about Ukraine\u2019s struggle amid continuing Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n In an earlier post, Zelenskyy said that almost 1,000 buildings in Kyiv were still left without heating this morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The European carmakers\u2019 association has welcomed the EU\u2019s trade deal with India<\/strong>, saying it sent \u201ca strong statement of intent by both parties to furthering more open and mutually beneficial trade relations.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will greatly help European automobile exports enter a market of 4 million passenger cars that, until now, has been protected by prohibitively high import tariffs<\/strong> of up to 110%,\u201d the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA, added.<\/p>\n \u201cACEA members support this FTA and will ask EU member states and the European parliament to give their timely approval to allow for its implementation as soon as possible,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Slovakia will challenge the European Union\u2019s decision to ban Russian gas imports, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said.<\/strong><\/p>\n Slovakia will join Hungary<\/strong> in challenging the policy at the European court of justice, after the two countries were outvoted on Monday, as they continued to oppose the policy given their heavy reliance on Russian energy imports (Europe Live, Monday).<\/p>\n Speaking at a press conference in Bratislava, Fico argued that the decision violated the EU\u2019s subsidiarity and solidarity principles,<\/strong> alleging the EU overstepped its competences.<\/p>\n The two countries will pursue separate claims<\/strong>, as there is no format in which these can be joined into a single legal action, Fico said, but he added that they would \u201ccoordinate\u201d their arguments.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there is a growing controversy around the potential presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during the upcoming winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina in Italy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/span>People take photos in front of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics rings, in Cortina D’Ampezzo.<\/span> Photograph: Andrew Medichini\/AP<\/p>\n Agents from the controversial agency are expected to form part of the security detail accompanying US officials, as US vice-president JD Vance<\/strong> and state secretary Marco Rubio<\/strong> are scheduled to attend the games, AP and AFP reported via US diplomatic sources.<\/p>\n US officials were quoted as insisting that they would not run any immigration enforcement operations and only assist in broader security operations.<\/p>\n But their presence has already sparked controversy<\/strong>, with Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala<\/strong> telling RTL radio that \u201cit\u2019s clear\u201d the agents would not be welcome in the city.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI believe they shouldn\u2019t come to Italy<\/strong> because they don\u2019t guarantee they\u2019re aligned with our democratic security management methods. We can take care of their security ourselves. We don\u2019t need ICE,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n La Repubblica daily newspaper claimed that the Italian government had briefly looked into blocking the participation of ICE agents in the delegation,<\/strong> but that would have required a departure from how US officials are usually protected during similar high-profile visits abroad.<\/p>\n However, the paper noted that their involvement risked sparking public demonstrations<\/strong> against the service amid continuing outrage against the Minneapolis shootings.<\/p>\n AP noted that the confirmation of ICE\u2019s role comes after RAI state TV aired video of ICE agents threatening to break the glass on the vehicle of a RAI crew reporting in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n In other news, the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland said they would visit Berlin and Paris to shore up support over US president Donald Trump\u2019s recent push to take over the Arctic island<\/strong> that has been Danish territory for centuries, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n <\/span>Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen attend a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark earlier this month.<\/span> Photograph: Tom Little\/Reuters<\/p>\n Denmark\u2019s Mette Frederiksen<\/strong> and Greenland\u2019s Jens-Frederik Nielsen<\/strong> will meet German chancellor Friedrich Merz<\/strong> on Tuesday and French president Emmanuel Macron<\/strong> on Wednesday, official schedules showed.<\/p>\n Frederiksen and Nielsen would discuss \u201cthe current foreign policy situation and the need for a strengthened Europe\u201d<\/strong> in their meetings, the Danish prime minister\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Hannah Ellis-Petersen<\/span><\/p>\n South Asia correspondent India, the world\u2019s largest country with a population of 1.4 billion, is also one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing economies<\/strong> and is on track to become its fourth-largest economy this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.<\/p>\n <\/span>Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and European Council president Antonio Costa shake hands during a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India.<\/span> Photograph: Altaf Hussain\/Reuters<\/p>\n The deal is one of the most comprehensive that India has ever signed<\/strong> and Narendra Modi emphasised that it represented about a third of global trade, calling it the \u201cbiggest free trade deal in history\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis agreement has brought massive opportunities for 1.4 billion Indians and millions of people in European countries,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has become a wonderful example of synergy<\/strong> between two of the world\u2019s major economies.\u201d<\/p>\n Trade talks between the two countries began as far back as 2007<\/strong> but were abandoned owing to disputes over access to cars, agriculture and dairy.<\/p>\n However, they were resumed again in 2022<\/strong> and accelerated with gusto over the past six months in the face of heavy punitive tariffs by Donald Trump\u2019s administration<\/strong> in the US and joint concerns over China\u2019s monopoly over global manufacturing and the country\u2019s restrictions on key exports.<\/p>\n According to officials, the formal signing of the deal will take place later this year and it could come into play by early next year.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n It\u2019s quite notable how relations with India picked up over the last year<\/strong> as Europe looks to find new markets as a result of Trump\u2019s erratic trade policy.<\/p>\n German chancellor Friedrich Merz<\/strong> was in India earlier this month, talking about the relationship being a \u201chigh priority\u201d for his government.<\/p>\n France\u2019s Emmanuel Macron<\/strong> is expected to follow next month, attending the AI Impact Summit, and he pointedly shared a selfie with India\u2019s prime minister Narendra Modi last night, marking India\u2019s Republic Day celebrations.<\/p>\n Italy\u2019s Giorgia Meloni<\/strong> spoke with Modi late last year, offering her backing for the EU-India trade deal, too, and her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani,<\/strong> visited the country in December with a 50-strong delegation with representatives of Italian businesses.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Chair of the European Parliament\u2019s international trade committee, Bernd Lange, said \u201cthe conclusion of negotiations with India offers a glimmer of hope amid a chaotic geopolitical situation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe EU is not alone in its insistence on a rules-based order.<\/strong> This is only the beginning of close cooperation with India. We can build on this foundation in the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Germany has rushed to welcome the deal, saying it could support growth at a time of increasingly challenging ties with other major economies,<\/strong> AFP reported.<\/p>\n \u201cThis agreement creates new opportunities for growth and good jobs<\/strong> \u2013 in Europe and India alike \u2013 while deepening the strategic partnership with the world\u2019s largest democracy,\u201d said Lars Klingbeil<\/strong>, Germany\u2019s finance minister.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n If you are after a detailed \u201cfact sheet\u201d on the deal<\/strong>, the EU\u2019s document is here.<\/p>\n It says the agreement will save up to \u20ac4bn per year in duties on European products<\/strong> and pointedly says it is the biggest trade opening India has given to any trade partner (hello UK<\/em>).<\/p>\n Here are some specific examples from the Q&A:<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, tariffs on cars will gradually go down from 110% to 10%<\/strong> with a quota of 250,000 vehicles a year. High tariffs of up to 44% on machinery, 22% on chemicals and 11% on pharmaceuticals will be mostly eliminated.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Jakub Krupa<\/span><\/p>\n The European Union has concluded trade talks with India this morning, signing also a bunch of separate deals on mobility, security, and defence, among others.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/span>Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, European Council president Antonio Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen hold a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India.<\/span> Photograph: Altaf Hussain\/Reuters<\/p>\n The accord would open up India\u2019s vast and highly guarded market,<\/strong> with New Delhi slashing tariffs on cars to 10% over five years from as high as 110%, Reuters reported. The deal will also cut tariffs on a slew of EU goods coming to India including machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals and iron and steel, the EU said.<\/p>\n The EU is keen to stress that the EU and India already trade over \u20ac180bn worth of goods and services per year<\/strong>, supporting close to 800,000 EU jobs, and the EU\u2019s goods exports to India is expected to double by 2032.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the most ambitious trade opening that India has ever granted <\/strong>to a trade partner,\u201d the bloc said, creating a market of more than 2 billion people.<\/p>\n India\u2019s Narendra Modi<\/strong> welcomed the deal saying \u201cthe two largest democratic powers of the world are adding a decisive chapter to their relations,\u201d as he hailed \u201cthe largest ever free trade agreement in its history.\u201d The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen<\/strong>, went further and called it \u201cthe mother of all trade deals.\u201d<\/p>\n The agreements will still need to go through the usual ratification process,<\/strong> including by the member states and the European parliament.<\/p>\n But there is no hiding away from the fact that the deal<\/strong> \u2013 19 years in the making \u2013 gets also signed now as the EU urgently looks for new trade partners to diversify its trade<\/strong> given increasingly shaky relations with the US under tariff-happy Donald Trump. <\/strong>Earlier this month, the EU signed a deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, after 25 years of negotiations.<\/p>\n The European Council\u2019s president Ant\u00f3nio Costa \u2013<\/strong> who holds an overseas citizenship of India thanks to his Goan roots \u2013 <\/strong>said that the deal \u201csends a clear message to the world at a time when the global order is being fundamentally reshaped.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n I will bring you the main reactions to the deal.<\/p>\n Separately, I will be keeping an eye on the latest on Ukraine and Greenland<\/p>\n It\u2019s Tuesday, 26 January 2026,<\/strong> it\u2019s Jakub Krupa<\/strong> here, and this is Europe Live.<\/strong><\/p>\n Good morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EU-India deal ‘accelerated with gusto’ over past six months amid Trump’s tariff threats – snap analysis Hannah Ellis-Petersen South Asia correspondentin New Delhi India, the world\u2019s largest country with a population of 1.4 billion, is also one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing economies and is on track to become its fourth-largest economy this year, according to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[3312,696,22511,896,132,855,2971,1755,71],"class_list":{"0":"post-42859","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-accelerated","9":"tag-deal","10":"tag-euindia","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-live","13":"tag-months","14":"tag-tariff","15":"tag-threats","16":"tag-trumps"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
in New Delhi<\/em><\/p>\nIran summons Italian ambassador over EU terrorist register efforts<\/h2>\n
Finland hails ‘historic’ EU agreement with India<\/h2>\n
‘Europeans can and must take charge of their security,’ French foreign minister says in pushback to Rutte’s comments<\/h2>\n
European Commission ready to defend its Russian energy imports phase out policy despite Slovak, Hungarian legal threat<\/h2>\n
Zelenskyy eyes 2027 for Ukraine’s accession to European Union<\/h2>\n
European carmakers back EU-India deal as ‘strong statement of intent’<\/h2>\n
Slovakia to join Hungary in challenging EU’s decision to ban Russian gas imports<\/h2>\n
Potential ICE agents presence during Milan-Cortina Olympic Games sparks controversy in Italy<\/h2>\n
Danish, Greenlandic prime ministers to visit Berlin, Paris to shore up support against Trump’s threats<\/h2>\n
EU-India deal ‘accelerated with gusto’ over past six months amid Trump’s tariff threats – snap analysis<\/h2>\n
in New Delhi<\/em><\/p>\nMorning opening: ‘The mother of all trade deals’<\/h2>\n